Future handball stars embark on their own ‘Road to Cologne’ this week as the inaugural edition of the EHF Youth Club Trophy throws off at four tournaments in Hungary, Spain, Germany, and Romania. The four winners of these tournaments for under-18 teams qualify for the final event, which will take place at LANXESS arena in the weekend of the TruckScout24 EHF FINAL4 2025 on 14/15 June, with the Youth Club Trophy final to be played just before the third-placed match of the senior teams.

The youth teams of 13 participating clubs in the Machineseeker EHF Champions League 2024/25 and three in the EHF European League 2024/25 are involved in the first edition of the EHF Youth Club Trophy. The 16 teams have been divided into four groups of four, which will be played in an EHF FINAL4 format with two semi-finals, a third-place match, and a final.

All matches are streamed live on EHFTV and covered by local broadcasters.

EHF YOUTH CLUB TROPY, QUALIFICATION TOURNAMENTS

Tournament Veszprém (15/16 April) —
HC Zagreb (CRO), PICK Szeged (HUN), Veszprém Handball Academy (HUN), Vojvodina (SRB)

• Zagreb meet Szeged in the first semi-final on Tuesday at 15:30 CEST in a duel between two clubs that also met in the group phase of the Machineseeker EHF Champions League this season
• both senior teams won the away match in group B — Szeged triumphed 35:30 in Croatia last October, and Zagreb 27:26 in Hungary two months ago
• Veszprém hope to earn their ticket to final in the second semi-final at 18:00 CEST, against the only EHF European League club in this tournament, Vojvodina
• the third-place match is scheduled for Wednesday at 15:30 CEST, followed by the final at 18:00 CEST.

Tournament Barcelona (16/17 April) —
U18 PSG Handball (FRA), Sporting CP (POR), Barça (ESP), HBC Nantes (FRA)

• the first semi-final pits PSG against Sporting on Wednesday at 18:30 CEST, after their senior teams both won their respective home game when they met in the group phase
• PSG beat Sporting 30:28 in France, but the Portuguese side hit back with a 39:28 win in the reverse fixture in the following round
• the under-18 team of record EHF Champions League winners Barça hope for their own success when they take on Nantes in the second semi-final at 21:00 CEST
• bronze is at stake on Thursday at 18:30 CEST, while the ticket to Cologne will be earned in the final at 21:00 CEST 

Tournament Berlin (17/18 April) —
Füchse Berlin (GER), IK Sävehof (SWE), GOG (DEN), SC Magdeburg (GER)

• Füchse hope to please the home crowd when they open the tournament in Berlin with the first semi-final on Thursday at 13:30 CEST against Sävehof
• the Swedish club is not represented in the EHF Champions League this season, but their youth department has a strong tradition
• another non-EHF Champions League club, GOG, play against the second German contender, Magdeburg, in the second semi-final at 16:00 CEST
• the match for the third place will start Friday at 11:00 CEST, while the final is set to begin at 13:30 CEST

Tournament Bucharest (17/18 April) —
CS Dinamo Bucuresti (ROU), Orlen Wisla Plock (POL), KSS Iskra Kielce (POL), HC Eurofarm Pelister (MKD)

• the youth team of 2016 EHF Champions League winners Kielce take on Pelister in the first semi-final, on Thursday at 15:30 CEST
• the hosts from Bucharest and Plock, two clubs that saw their senior teams bow out of the EHF Champions League this season in the play-offs, will meet in the second semi-final at 18:00 CEST
• both senior teams won their away match against the other in group A: Dinamo won in Poland 28:26 in round 2, but suffered a 28:27 home defeat in round 13
• the teams that lost their semi-final meet for bronze on Friday at 15:30 CEST, while the winners go all in for the ticket to Cologne in the final at 18:00 CEST\

Source: EHF