New this season is the country protection rule being applied to the draw, meaning that no teams from the same national federation can be drawn against each other in round 1.
The 38 teams have therefore been distributed into two pools based on the competition's seeding list which was released last week: pool A contains nine teams from pot 1, which will be drawn against nine teams from pot 2; pool B contains 10 teams from pot 1, which will be drawn against the other 10 teams from pot 2 in pool B.
The pools and pots are as follows:
Pool A — Pot 1
CYP - PAC Omonoia 29M
FAR - Kyndil
ITA - Teamnetwork Albatro Siracusa
KOS - KH Besa Famgas
LUX - Handball Esch
MNE - RK Budvanska Rivijera
SRB - RK Dubocica 54
SUI - BSV Bern
TUR - Spor Toto SK
Pool A — Pot 2
AUT - Alpla HC Hard
AUT - SC Kelag Ferlach
BIH - RK Vogošca
GRE - GS Drama 1986
GRE - Ionikos A.C. N.F.
ISR - Holon Yuvalim HC
ISR - Maccabi Tel Aviv
LTU - Granitas-Karys
MKD - GRK Tikves 2014
Pool B — Pot 1
AUT - HC Fivers WAT Margareten
BIH - RK Konjuh Zivinice
CYP - Parnassos Strovolou
CZE - Handball Brno
EST - Tallinna Mistra
FAR - VIF
GRE - A.C. PAOK
ISR - Maccabi Rishon Le Zion
LTU - Vilnius VHC Sviesa
MNE - MRK Sutjeska
Pool B — Pot 2
CRO - MRK Trogir
ITA - Pallamano Conversano
KOS - KH Vëllaznimi
LUX - HB Dudelange
LUX - HC Berchem
POL - Netland MKS Kalisz
ROU - AHC Potaissa Turda
SLO - RK Gorenje Velenje
TUR - Giresunspor
TUR - Istanbul GSK
Round 1 starts with the first leg in the weekend of 12/13 September, followed by the return leg a week later, on 19/20 September 2026.
The 19 aggregate winners advance to round 2 in October, when the remaining 45 participants that skipped round 1 will enter the competition.
main image © kolektiff
