LFor many years the EHF Cup was the sleazy child of European club handball. A subsidy business in the shadow of the Champions League that was only worthwhile if you reached the final round. In 2020, TSV Hannover-Burgdorf decided not to take part despite qualifying, and that didn’t just have to do with the pandemic.
The small European round of play also seemed so unattractive because the German clubs played the cup amongst themselves – 16 of the last 17 winners came from the Bundesliga up to the final on Sunday in Lisbon. Accordingly, six of the last eight Final Four tournaments took place here. If it says “Europe” on the outside but only says “Germany” inside, the enthusiasm of the competition is limited.
That has been different for two years. With significantly more money from the marketing pot, the European Handball Federation (EHF) has developed a product called the European League, which is impressive and has already moved out of the shadow of the Champions League this season. The framework, the mode, the look – everything has been renovated and because the clubs have now identified the European League as a relevant source of income, a respectable competition has emerged.
He benefits from the fact that handball has become more professional in countries like Portugal, Poland, Hungary and Croatia. Strong clubs have developed behind well-known top teams. The fact that their financing models do not always correspond to the German idea of honesty and equal opportunities has been discussed a lot, but is lost in commercialization.
The likely German champion suffered from this compression on Sunday. At 39:40 after extra time, SC Magdeburg not only lost to Benfica, but also to the hot atmosphere in the arena, which apparently also impressed the referees from Switzerland. So nothing came of Magdeburg’s title defense after 15 unbeaten games in this European League campaign.
Previously, the Rhein-Neckar Löwen (qualification against Benfica), TBV Lemgo and Füchse Berlin had said goodbye in the round of 16. This weak yield is remarkable because German teams have usually gone far without difficulty. In the European League, however, no one walks into the semi-finals anymore. A well-known winner like Benfica is a good signal for European handball and its marketing.
The monotony of competition is over. For the Handball Bundesliga, however, the times as permanent title holders seem passé. The claim “strongest league in the world” has so far also been based on the balance in the Bundesliga. Clubs like Göppingen, the Foxes or Magdeburg often saved a mediocre season with the “small” European title. This subscription has expired.
