How the competition works
The EHF European League is the second tier of European club handball behind the EHF Champions League. In its current format, 32 teams contest a group phase of eight groups of four. The top two in each group advance to a main round of four groups, carrying forward their results against the team that advanced with them. Main-round group winners qualify directly for the quarter-finals, while second- and third-placed sides enter the knockout play-offs. Quarter-finals are played over two legs, and the last four meet at the EHF Finals, a single weekend of semi-finals, a third-place match and the final. In 2026, that weekend was staged in the Barclays Arena in Hamburg.
Phase by phase
| Phase | Matches | W-D-L | Goals | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group phase | 6 | 5-0-1 | 187–162 | Group winners |
| Main round | 4 | 3-1-0 | 124–110 | Main-round group winners |
| Quarter-final | 2 | 1-1-0 | 60–54 | Advanced on aggregate |
| Semi-final | 1 | 1-0-0 | 29–26 | Reached the final |
| Final | 1 | 1-0-0 | 24–23 | Champions |
| Total | 14 | 11-2-1 | 424–375 | +49 |
Group phase: fast starts, one warning
Melsungen averaged 31.2 goals across six group matches, the product of a high-tempo transition game built on Simić's quick outlets to the wings. The single defeat, an away loss in the fourth round, came after a first half in which the side committed eight turnovers. It became a reference point for the coaching staff: in no subsequent European match did Melsungen exceed six turnovers in a half.
Main round: controlling games
With results carried forward, Melsungen needed consistency rather than spectacle. They conceded only 27.5 goals per match in the main round, their best defensive phase before the knockouts, and a draw in the final round was enough to secure first place. Direct qualification for the quarter-finals mattered: it spared a squad also competing domestically two additional high-intensity fixtures.
Quarter-final: surviving the first leg
The away leg ended 28–28 after Melsungen trailed by three with ten minutes left. A late switch to a 5–1 defence, the same adjustment that would later decide the final, produced two steals and a draw. At home, the second leg was level at the interval before a 7–1 run after the break settled the tie. The aggregate finished 60–54, and Melsungen converted nine of ten seven-metres across the two legs.
EHF Finals: semi-final control, final drama
The semi-final in Hamburg was the most complete performance of the campaign. Melsungen led 15–13 at half-time, extended the lead to five and closed out a 29–26 win with six fast-break goals. The final against THW Kiel was the opposite experience: a match played mostly from behind, turned by goalkeeping, defensive adjustment and a winner at 59:12.
Performance trends across the campaign
- Defence tightened as stakes rose. Goals conceded per match fell from 27.0 in the group phase to 25.0 across the four knockout matches.
- Goalkeeping peaked late. Simić's save rate rose from 30.0 per cent in the first quarter-final leg to 41.0 per cent in the final.
- Discipline improved. After the group-phase defeat, turnovers averaged 9.1 per match, down from 11.3.
- Seven-metre reliability. Across the knockout phase Melsungen scored 17 of 19 seven-metres, an 89 per cent return.