The EHF has confirmed the quarterfinal matchups for the 2025/26 EHF European Cup Men.
The European Handball Federation (EHF) held the draw for the quarterfinals and semifinals at the European Handball House in Vienna, Austria, and streamed the event live on its YouTube channel.
The last eight include last season’s runner-up Olympiacos SFP (Greece) and former EHF Champions League winner RK Celje Pivovarna Laško (Slovenia). Also through are last season’s semifinalist HC Izvidac (Bosnia and Herzegovina) and Czech powerhouse HCB Karvina.
Romania’s ACS HC Buzau 2012 made waves by reaching the quarterfinals in its first European campaign. They join North Macedonia’s GRK Ohrid, Hungary’s MOL Tatabanya KC and Turkey’s Nilüfer BSK in the last eight.
The draw paired Hungary’s Tatabanya KC with Turkey’s Nilüfer. Tatabanya reached the main round of last season’s EHF European League, while Nilüfer edged Czech club SKKP Handball Brno 58-57 on aggregate in the round of 16 to reach the club’s first-ever European quarterfinal.
In another tie, 2004 EHF Champions League winner Celje will face Buzau. Celje is targeting its first European semifinal since the 2011/12 Cup Winners’ Cup.
Izvidac will meet Karvina. Izvidac reached last season’s semifinals, while Karvina competed in last season’s EHF European League and has reached the European quarterfinals on four occasions.
Olympiacos will face Ohrid. Olympiacos finished as runner-up in 2024 and made the quarterfinals in 2025, while Ohrid is enjoying the best European campaign in the club’s history to reach the last eight.
The quarterfinal first legs are scheduled for March 28 and 29, with return legs set for April 4 and 5.
The semifinal bracket is set: the winner of Celje vs. Buzau will play the winner of Olympiacos vs. Ohrid, and the winner of Izvidac vs. Karvina will face the winner of Tatabanya vs. Nilüfer for a place in the final.
The semifinals will be played home-and-away in late April and early May.
[Yongpil Kim, MK Sports Reporter]
