Betting on the EHF Champions League Online
Handball betting action is heating up! For South African fans of sports betting, this guide unpacks everything about the EHF Champions League. From its history to its evolution, we cover all the angles. Get key insights on how to bet and win on one of the biggest handball tournaments worldwide. The EHF Champions League, also known as the EHF FINAL4 Men, is the premier men's handball showdown. Ready to place your bets?
It draws top handball teams from across Europe. Now, it's not just packing stadiums; it's a major player in the online betting scene in South Africa. Score big with our expert tips and turn your handball passion into winning plays! Let's get ready to rumble!
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History of the EHF Champions League
The EHF Champions League, much like other top-rated sports leagues, attracts sponsorships from some of the biggest brands. For South African fans looking to place bets, you'll recognize names like Infront Sports & Media, DAZN, hummel, Gerflor Group Select, and Sport Radar.
Understanding the history of the EHF Champions League requires a look at the origin of its organising body, the European Handball Federation (EHF). The EHF, as the name suggests, is the governing body for handball across Europe. Headquartered in Vienna, Austria, it comprises 50 member federations, with England and Scotland as associated federations. This organisation plays a crucial role in European handball, impacting how South African fans engage with the sport.
The EHF Champions League itself was established in 1993. Prior to this, a European competition known as the European Champions Cup was organised by the International Handball Federation (IHF). The EHF Champions League introduced a unique, updated format to the game.
Eligibility and qualifications for South African players
To qualify for the EHF Champions League, member federations must rank highly in the EHF's coefficient rankings. This ranking system assesses member states based on their performance over the last three seasons in this championship, the EHF European League (EL), and the EHF European Cup (EC).
The top 9 federations in the EHF coefficient rankings automatically secure a spot in the tournament, with their national champion team representing them. The highest-ranked federation also earns a second slot, which is filled by the domestic runner-up. The remaining 6 slots are awarded through wildcards. These wildcards consider factors like the tournament's venue, spectator appeal, TV presence, product management, digital influence, and the teams' past results in EHF tournaments. This ensures a competitive and dynamic lineup for all fans, including those in South Africa.
Tournament format explained
The EHF Champions League unfolds across four distinct stages, offering exciting handball action for enthusiasts and bettors alike.
- Group phase - In the group phase, 2 pools are created (Group A and B), each with 8 teams. The teams pooled together battle it out in two matches, home and away. The two top teams in the pools advance to the quarter-finals directly, while teams in number 3 to 6 face off in the next stage, playoffs. The last two teams are eliminated.
- Playoffs - In playoffs, the teams are paired based on the pairing in the group phase. They then battle it out again in two matches, home and away. The aggregate winners advance to the quarter-finals.
- Quarter-finals - Here again, the placements follow a specific format, based on the placements in the group phase. The four winners in the quarter-finals advance to the finals.
- EHF FINAL4 - In the finals of the EHF Champions League, the four quarter-finals winners face off in the semis, and the winners of the semis square it out in the finals. A match to find the third place is also played.
Most successful clubs in EHF Champions League
The Spanish federation has been the most dominant force in the EHF Champions League, with Barcelona, the current champions, at the forefront with 10 titles. Other Spanish teams that have won the EHF Champions League include TEKA Santander, Elgorriaga Bidasoa, Portland San Antonio, and Ciudad Real.
German teams, alongside French, Macedonian, Polish, and Slovenian teams, have also triumphed.
Why is the EHF Champions League popular?
The EHF Champions League is one of the elite sports tournaments in the world, attracting the top European handball teams. According to statistics, the tournament attracted an audience of 530 million in 2020/21. Interestingly, the EHF's Over The Top platform, EHFTV, got more than 250,000 global subscribers in its first year since inception. They say numbers don't lie, and these are numbers that cement the fact that the EHF CL is indeed popular.
Besides EHF Champions League's popularity amongst handball enthusiasts, the competition has a huge following in online sports betting. Many of the handball enthusiasts who follow the tournament are always on the hunt for bookmakers with EHF Champions League betting markets. This begs the question, why is the EHF Champions League tournament so big on the betting scene?
Well, the answer is simple; the EHF Champions League is the biggest handball tournament globally. It attracts the top teams from Europe, such as Barcelona, THW Kiel, RK Vardar, Montpellier, Vive Tauron Kielce, and HSV Hamburg. These are among the best teams globally that give the tournament the competitiveness it deserves. While there are other tournaments, none has the hype that the EHF Champions League brings to the table.
How to bet on the EHF Champions League
Betting on sports tournaments is a great thing as it adds the adrenaline rush to the action. So, how do punters bet on the EHF Champions League? Below are some helpful tips.
First, punters need to find the best sportsbook with handball betting markets, particularly EHF Champions League odds. The good thing is that there are plenty of bookies offering betting markets for this tournament. It's one of the biggest handball events on top online sports betting sites. Also, check the licensing of the bookmaker and the sports betting bonuses available.
The next thing is to carefully assess the current form of the participating teams in the upcoming or ongoing tournament. Assessing the form of the teams in the EHF Champions League helps punters know which teams are favorites and which are the underdogs. With this information, bettors are in a position to make better betting decisions.
Last, understand the different betting markets. For starters, these are the possible outcomes, for example, the league winner, the match-winner, handicaps, or the totals. Importantly, note that the higher the odds, the lesser the chances of winning the bet, and vice versa.
That's it, folks, the ultimate EHF Champions League betting guide. The 2021–22 EHF Champions League kicked off Wednesday, 15 September, and is expected to end on Sunday, 19 June 2022, so there's still a lot of time to bet!
