The Barça handball team's defence of their EHF Champions League title is taking shape. The draw for the next season's competition took place on Friday in Vienna with the blaugranes set to face Montpellier, Dinamo Bucharest and SAH Aarhus

The 2026/27 Champions League will premiere a new format with the blaugranes facing their three group rivals home and away with only the top two qualifying for the Main Round. From then on, the competition with revert to its usual formula as the top four from the two groups of six progressing. 

Barça are seeded in the new format as they top the EHF rankings at the moment based on performances over the last three seasons. 

The Champions League will begin on Wednesday 9 September with match details to be announced shortly. 

Carlos Ortega: 'We have teams who play a different kind of handball' 

Barça coach Carlos Ortega highlighted the variety of playing styles his team will face following the draw.

"Montpellier, although somewhat inconsistent, reached the EHF European League Final Four and have quite a few Spanish players. Dinamo are signing young talent and we have not faced them for a while, although we do have a former teammate there, Haniel Langaro. And Aarhus have a strong outside shot, plays a lot on the counterattack, and often uses the seven‑against‑six option," explained the coach.

Ortega admitted that "on paper there are some more dangerous groups," but warned that his team "must approach everything with the utmost respect to try to secure one of the two places that grant access to the Main Round."

Emil Nielsen, MVP of 2025/26

The draw also saw the announcement of the MVP for 2025/26 in European competition. The award, voted for by the public, went to Barça goalkeeper Emil Nielsen, European Champion with Denmark and Champions League winner with Brça. 

 

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