Facts and figures for the VELUX EHF Champions League

Last 16 The Last 16 of the 2012/13 season of the VELUX EHF Champions League was completed on Sunday evening – and right before the draw of the quarter-finals on Tuesday (11:00 hrs local time live on www.ehfTV.com) here are some facts and figures from this round and the teams which proceeded to the next stage.

• Eight teams from five nations have made it to the quarter-finals. Germany is represented by three participants (THW Kiel, SG Flensburg-Handewitt and HSV Hamburg), Spain by two (FC Barcelona Intersport and Atlético Madrid), and Poland (Vive Targi Kielce), FYR Macedonia (Metalurg Skopje) and Hungary (MKB Veszprém KC) each by one. For Polish and Macedonian clubs it is the first time ever to be among the eight best teams of the VELUX EHF Champions League.

• Since the change of the playing system before the season 2009/10 only three

teams have made it to all quarter-finals including the current season: FC Barcelona Intersport, THW Kiel, Atlético Madrid

• Those teams of the 2011/12 quarter-finals have managed to come so far again: FC Barcelona Intersport, and the two VELUX EHF FINAL4 finalists from the previous season THW Kiel and Atlético Madrid.

• Those teams of the 2010/11 quarter-finals have managed to come so far again: SG Flensburg-Handewitt, HSV Hamburg, FC Barcelona Intersport, THW Kiel, Atlético Madrid

• Those teams of the 2009/10 quarter-finals have managed to come so far again: HSV Hamburg, FC Barcelona Intersport, MKB Veszprém KC, THW Kiel, Atletico Madrid.

• In the overall statistics defending champions THW Kiel and record winner FC Barcelona Intersport are on top of the “quarter-final ranking” with 13 participations each (including the current season), followed by MKB Veszprém (12) and Atlético Madrid with the brilliant series of ten quarter-finals in ten EHF Champions League participations.

• THW Kiel: 13 quarter-final participations in 16 appearances, since 2005 part of every quarter-final

• FC Barcelona Intersport: 13 quarter-final participations in 16 appearances, since 2005 part of every quarter-final with one exception (2009)

• MKB Veszprém KC: 12 quarter-final participation, but only once in the final, no

trophy by now

• Atlético Madrid: 10 quarter-final participations in 10 appearances, since 2004 part of every quarter-final, including their former name Ciudad Real.

• SG Flensburg-Handewitt: 7 quarter-final participations

• HSV Hamburg: 5 quarter-final participations in 6 appearances in the EHF Champions League

The EHF Champions League history of all teams:

• Three teams (representing 13 trophies) of the 19 previous EHF and VELUX EHF Champions League winners have made it to the quarter-finals of this season: FC Barcelona Intersport (7 titles), THW Kiel (3) and Atlético Madrid (3)

• All finalists since the 2006/2007 season are among the 8 teams qualified for the quarter-finals: THW Kiel (5 finals since 2007), Atlético Madrid (4 including former name Ciudad Real), FC Barcelona Intersport (2), SG Flensburg-Handewitt (1).

Points, points, points:

• MKB Veszprém KC, Vive Targi Kielce and FC Barcelona Intersport are on top of the overall ranking of this season by 11 victories and only one defeat each.

• Atlético Madrid made it to the quarter-finals with the lowest number of points (13) in 12 matches from all teams.

The overall results of the eight teams: MKB Veszprém KC: 11 victories – 0 draws – 1 defeat FC Barcelona Intersport: 11– 0–1 Vive Targi Kielce: 11– 0– 1 THW Kiel: 9-0-3 SG Flensburg-Handewitt: 8-3-1 Metalurg Skopje: 8-0-4 HSV Hamburg: 8-2-2 Atlético Madrid 6-1-5 Draws, home and away victories in the Last 16:

• Away victories:7 (including 5 in the first leg) • Home victories: 8 (including 2 in the first leg) • The only draw: Atlético Madrid and Füchse Berlin 29:29 in the first leg.

The only teams which managed to win both leg in this Last 16 were FC Barcelona Intersport (against Bjerringbro Silkeborg), MKB Veszprém (against Ademar León), SG Flensburg-Handewitt (against Gorenje Velenje) and Metalurg Skopje (against Dinamo Minsk)

Vive Targi Kielce (against Pick Szeged) and THW Kiel (against Chekhovskie Medvedi) turned deficits from the first leg into aggregate victories. Atlético Madrid turned a draw on home ground into the qualification for the quarter-finals by winning at Füchse Berlin. Since the implementation of the new playing system in the 2009/2010 season of the VELUX EHF Champions League only three Last 16 matches (of in total 64) ended with a draw: Zagreb – Löwen 27:27 (2010/11) and Kolding – Montpellier 26:26 (2009/10), Atlético Madrid – Füchse Berlin 29:29 (2012/13) Only eight of 136 matches of this season ended in a draw. The overall statistics of this season’s 136 matches of Group Phase and Last 16: 82 home victories – 8 draws – 46 away victories. Goals, goals, goals The biggest gap of the Last 16: MKB Veszprém beat Ademar León by an aggregate of 11 goals (56:45), followed by FC Barcelona Intersport, beating Bjerringbro in aggregate by 8 goals (58:50). The smallest gap of the Last 16: One single goal, scored by Kiril Lazarov 25 seconds before the end of the second leg decided the encounter Füchse Berlin vs. Atlético Madrid. Finally the Spaniards had won in aggregate by 56:55. The second smallest margin was two goals of THWKiel against Chekhovskie Medvedi (65:63 in aggregate). The biggest number of goals: Chekhovskie Medvedi and THW Kiel scored an overall of 72 goals in their first duel (37:35). The encounter in Chekhov was the match with the fourth biggest number of goals in the current season of this competition. Matches with the highest number of goals: 77 goals: THW Kiel – Sävehof IK 43:34 (GP) 75 goals: Kadetten Schaffhausen – Füchse Berlin 35:40 (GP) 74 goals: SG Flensburg-Handewitt – Montpellier MAHB 37:37 (GP) 72 goals: Chekhovskie Medvedi vs. THW Kiel 37:35 (L16) 69 goals: Sävehof IK – THW Kiel 29:40 (GP) 69 goals: Chekhovskie Medvedi – Partizan Beograd 38:31(GP) 68 goals: Partizan Beograd – SG Flensburg-Handewittt 31:37 (GP) 68 goals: HSV Hamburg – Montpellier MAHB 35:33 (GP) 68 goals: RK Zagreb – Kadetten Schaffhausen 38:30 (GP) 20 of 136 matches were won by a difference of ten and more goals, none of them in the Last 16.

The lowest number of goals: Ademar León and MKB Veszprém only scored 43 goals in their first match (20:23). This is the third lowest number in the whole season of this competition. 39 goals were scored in the match HCM Constanta – RK Pivovarna Laško Celje (22:17), 41 goals were scored in the match Vive Targi Kielce - Metalurg Skopje (21:20). And the fifth is also for a Last 16 match, the second leg of Skopje vs. Minsk (46 goals/24:22). Matches with the lowest number of goals: 39 goals: HCM Constanta – RK Pivovarna Laško Celje 22:17 (GP) 41 goals: Vive Targi Kielce - Metalurg Skopje 21:20 (GP) 43 goals: Ademar León - MKB Veszprém 20:23 (L16) 44 goals: Metalurg Skopje – Vive Targi Kielce 21:23 (GP) 46 goals: Metalurg Skopje – Dinamo Minsk 24:22 (L16) GP = Group Phase, L16 = Last 16 The best overall defence of all teams: Metalurg Skopje are still clearly on top of the overall defence ranking of the current season by 260 goals conceded in 12 matches (an average of only 21,6 goals). Veszprém are runners-up as only one of two teams with less than 300 conceded goals. Metalurg Skopje: 260 MKB Veszprém KC: 287 Vive Targi Kielce: 302 FC Barcelona Intersport: 302 Atletico Madrid: 324 THW Kiel: 328 SG Flensburg-Handewitt: 329 HSV Hamburg: 332 The best overall attack of all teams: Like after the Group Phase THW Kiel are number 1 with the best attack, as the defending champions have already scored 394 goals and are 15 goals ahead of runners-up FC Barcelona. Metalurg Skopje – team with the best defence – have the lowest number of goals in this ranking. THW Kiel: 394 FC Barcelona Intersport: 379 HSV Hamburg: 379 SG Flensburg-Handewitt: 365 Vive Targi Kielce: 362 MKB Veszprem: 351 Atletico Madrid: 324 Metalurg Skopje: 321

The top scorers of the first Last 16 leg: 13 goals: Borut Mačkovšek (RK Celje) 10 goals: Hans Lindberg (HSV Hamburg) 10 goals: Sergii Gorbok (Chekhovskie Medvedi) 10 goals: Momir Ilić (THW Kiel) 9 goals: Marcin Lijewski (HSV Hamburg) 9 goals: Naumče Mojsovski (Metalurg Skopje) 9 goals: Joan Canellas (Atlético Madrid) 9 goals: Matej Gaber (Gorenje Velenje) The top scorers of the second Last 16 leg: 9 goals: Holger Glandorf (SG Flensburg) 9 goals: Siarhei Rutenka (FC Barcelona) 8 goals: Casper Ulrich Mortensen (Bjerringbro) 8 goals: Klemen Cehte (Gorenje Velenje) 8 goals: Carlos Ruesga (Ademar León) 8 goals: Konstantin Igropulo (Füchse Berlin) 8 goals: Jonas Larhom (Pick Szeged) 8 goals: Thórir Ólafsson (Vive Targi Kielce) Best overall scorer of the Last 16 was Borut Mačkovšek (RK Celje) with in total 20 goals. Top scorers after the Last 16 Two Danish wing players are among the three top scorers and two Flensburg players are ranked third – but the biggest surprise are the three Slovenians among the top 10 after the Last 16. 1. Hans Lindberg (HSV Hamburg) 80 2. Gašper Marguč (RK Celje) 72 3. Anders Eggert (SG Flensburg-Handewitt) 68 Holger Glandorf (SG Flensburg-Handewitt) 68 5. Naumče Mojsovski (Metalurg Skopje) 67 6. Jure Dolenec (Gorenje Velenje) 64 František Šulc (Pick Szeged) 64 8. Borut Mačkovšek (RK Celje) 62 Timur Dibirov (Chekhovskie Medvedi) 62 Siarhei Rutenka (FC Barcelona) 62

TOP SCORERS AFTER THE LAST 16

HSV Hamburg (GER) Coach: Martin Schwalb (Since 2005) Key players: Domagoj Duvnjak, Hans Lindberg, Pascal Hens Top scorer: Hans Lindberg 80 goals Last 16 matches: RK Pivovarna Laško Celje vs HSV Hamburg 29:38 HSV Hamburg vs RK Pivovarna Laško Celje 28:31 Road to the last 16: Hamburg had to fight all the way through from the qualification. The won the Wild Card Tournament following their extra-time victory over hosts St. Raphael Var. After a shaky start to the competition with a narrow win against Reale Ademar León and a draw at home against Chekovskie Medvedi HSV recorded three successive victories to put them level on top of Group A. A defeat away to SG Flensburg-Handewitt was to be the only loss of the campaign, three wins and another draw in Chekhov followed as they narrowly came out on top with 16 points, one ahead of Flensburg in second. In the last 16 they basically decided about their progress in the away match in Celje where they took nine goal lead from and the first home defeat of the season could not endanger their ticket in the top eight. Club achievements: EHF Champions League: Participations (including 2012/13 season): 6 Semi-final (3): 2008, 2009, 2011 Quarter-final (1): 2010 Last 16 (1): 2012 Cup Winners´ Cup: Winner 2007 German champions: 2011 German Cup winners: 2006, 2010 German Super-Cup winners: 4 titles Potential opponents: SG Flensburg Handewitt (GER), THW Kiel (GER), Atlético Madrid (ESP), RK Metalurg (MKD)

MKB Veszprém KC (HUN) Coach: Antonio Carlos Ortega (since 2012) Key players: László Nagy, Mirko Alilović, Gábor Császár. Top scorer: László Nagy 61 goals Last 16 matches: Reale Ademar León vs MKB Veszprém KC 20:23 MKB Veszprém KC vs Reale Ademar León 33:25 Road to the quarter-finals: Veszprém were consistently dominant for most of the group phase, winning by 10 goals in five of their first eight games. The only dip in their form came in the penultimate game against reigning champions THW Kiel, who they had narrowly beaten in the first leg. A heavy defeat against the Germans did not seem to harm Veszprém, who ended this stage of the competition with a seven goal victory over Atlético Madrid to secure top spot in Group B. In the last 16 they break the Spanish curse as for the first time in a new playing mode they made it through an Iberian opponent as they got their revenge for the last year failure against León. Club achievements: VELUX EHF Champions League: Participations (including 2012/13 season): 18 Final (1): 2002 Semi-final (2): 2003, 2006 Quarter-final (8): 1998, 1999, 2000, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010 Last 16 (3): 1994, 2011, 2012 Cup Winners Cup: Winner: 2008 Final: 1997 Hungarian champions: 20 titles (1985, 1986, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012) Hungarian Cup winners: 21 titles Potential opponents: SG Flensburg Handewitt (GER), THW Kiel (GER), Atlético Madrid (ESP), RK Metalurg (MKD)

KS Vive Targi Kielce (POL) Coach: Bogdan Wenta (since 2008) Key players: Sławomir Szmal, Ivan Čupić, Michal Jurecki Top scorer: Michal Jurecki 61 goals Last 16 matches: Pick Szeged vs Vive Targi Kielce 26:25 Vive Targi Kielce vs Pick Szeged 32:27 Road to the quarter-finals: Kielce’s journey through the group phase has been flawless. Opening with four clear victories, the first real challenge for the Polish champions came in the back to back matches against HC Metalurg, but two low scoring victories meant that first place in the group was all but certain. Having lost some key players during the winter break, Kielce ended the group phase without playing their best handball, but coach Wenta could not complain with 10 wins from 10. The first defeat came early in the knock-out stage as they lost in Szeged, but they made it up in the rematch on the home court. Club achievements: EHF Champions League: Participations (including 2012/13 season): 10 Last 16 (4): 1994, 1995, 2010, 2012 Polish champions: 9 titles (1993, 1994, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2012) Polish Cup winners: 9 titles Potential opponents: SG Flensburg Handewitt (GER), THW Kiel (GER), Atlético Madrid (ESP), RK Metalurg (MKD)

FC Barcelona Intersport (ESP) Coach: Xavi Pascual (since 2009) Key players: Arpad Sterbik, Siarhei Rutenka, Juanin Garcia Top scorer: Siarhei Rutenka 62 goals Last 16 matches: Bjerringbro Silkeborg vs FC Barcelona Intersport 26:32 FC Barcelona Intersport vs Bjerringbro Silkeborg 26:24 Road to the quarter-finals: Barcelona have appeared focused and determined to win back the VELUX EHF Champions League title as they disposed of every team before the winter break with ease, the only exception was against Dinamo Minsk, where they were forced to come from behind to take a one goal victory. The first game of 2013 saw Barcelona’s only defeat of the group phase, as a spirited Füchse Berlin won a thrilling encounter 31:30. The Spanish club followed that defeat with two wins to secure first place in Group D and a place in Pot 1. In the last 16 the outsiders from Bjerringbro Silkeborg tried their best but could not repeat the Danish setback of Barcelona, what they experienced last year with AG Copenhagen. Club achievements: EHF Champions League: Participations (including 2012/13 season): 16 Winner (7): 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2005, 2011 Final (2): 2001, 2010 Semi-final (1): 2008 Quarter-final (3): 2006, 2007, 2012 Last 16 (1): 2004 Main Round (1): 2009 EHF Cup: Winners: 2003 Finalists 2002 Cup Winners´Cup: Winner: 1994, 1995 Spanish champions: 18 titles (1969, 1973, 1980, 1982, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2011, 20)12 Spanish Cup winners: 17 titles Potential opponents: SG Flensburg Handewitt (GER), THW Kiel (GER), Atlético Madrid (ESP), RK Metalurg (MKD)

SG Flensburg-Handewitt (GER) Coach: Ljubomir Vranjes (Since 2009) Key players: Mattias Andersson, Anders Eggert, Holger Glandorf Top scorer: Anders Eggert 68 goals Last 16 matches: Gorenje Velenje vs SG Flensburg Handewitt 25:28 SG Flensburg Handewitt vs Gorenje Velenje 27:25 Road to the last 16: With a number of injuries to high-profile players, Flensburg stuttered at the start of the group phase, with two wins, two draws and one loss in the first half of their campaign. A win against eventual group winners HSV Hamburg kick-started Flensburg’s season, going unbeaten until the end of the group, with their inconsistent early form preventing them from finishing top of the group. In the last 16 they picked two victories over Velenje on the way to the top eight. EHF Champions League: Participations (including 2012/13 season): 8 Final (2): 2004, 2007 Semi-final (1): 2006 Quarter-final (3): 2005, 2009, 2011 Main Round (1): 2008 Cup Winners´ Cup: Winner 2001 2012 EHF Cup: Winner: 1997 City Cup: Winner 1999 German champions: 2004 German Cup winners: 3 titles Potential opponents: HSV Hamburg (GER), MKB Veszprém KC (HUN), Vive Targi Kielce (POL), FC Barcelona Intersport (ESP)

THW Kiel (GER) Coach: Alfred Gislason (since 2008) Key players: Thierry Omeyer, Filip Jícha, Markus Ahlm Top scorer: Filip Jícha 49 goals Last 16 matches: Chekhovskie Medvedi vs THW Kiel 37:35 THW Kiel vs Chekhovskie Medvedi 30:26 Road to the quarter-finals: The defending VELUX EHF Champions League winners began the season where they left off, beating Atlético Madrid in the opening game, and followed that with two comprehensive wins. A 31:30 defeat against Veszprém, followed by another defeat against Celje Pivovarna Lasko left many questioning whether Kiel were capable of retaining their title. However, Kiel stormed back into form, winning each of their remaining games and defeating eventual group winners Veszprém by 11 goals, has shown that the Germans are not going to go away quietly. Their first step in the knock-out stage was not a luck one as they lost in Chekhov and left the Russian fortress unbeaten this season. However, in the home match they were dominating and had led by ten goals before their lead shrinked down to four at the end. Club achievements: EHF Champions League: Participation (incl. 2012/13 season): 16 Winner (3): 2007, 2010, 2012 Final (3): 2000, 2008, 2009 Semi-final (2): 1997, 2001 Quarter-final (5): 1999, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2011 Group Phase (2): 1995, 1996 EHF Cup: 3 titles: 1998, 2002, 2004 German champions: 17 titles: (1957, 1962, 1963, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 und 2012) German Cup winners: 8 titles Potential opponents: HSV Hamburg (GER), MKB Veszprém KC (HUN), Vive Targi Kielce (POL), FC Barcelona Intersport (ESP)

Metalurg Skopje (MKD) Coach: Lino Červar (since 2009) Key players: Darko Stanić, Naumče Mojsovski, Filip Mirkulovski Top scorer: Naumče Mojsovski 67 goals Last 16 matches: Dinamo Minsk vs RK Metalurg 23:26 RK Metalurg vs Dinamo Minsk 24:22 Road to the quarter-finals: Four wins from their opening four games sent out a clear signal to the rest of Europe that HC Metalurg are aiming high this season. Two successive defeats against group winners Kielce were a temporary blow for the Macedonians, but they held firm and secured second place, thanks to their tough defence, the best in the competition so far, which conceded just 215 goals in the group phase and carried on in the last 16 as well as Minsk scored only 45 goals against them in two matches. Club achievements: EHF Champions League: Participations (including 2012/13 season): 5 Last 16 (1): 2012 Group Matches (2): 2007, 2009 Qualification (1): 2011 Other EC records: 9 participations in other EC Macedonian champion: 5 titles (2006, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012) Macedonian Cup winner: 5 titles Potential opponents: HSV Hamburg (GER), MKB Veszprém KC (HUN), Vive Targi Kielce (POL), FC Barcelona Intersport (ESP)

Atlético Madrid (ESP) Coach: Talant Dujshebaev, since 2005 Key players: Kiril Lazarov, Ivano Balić, Jose Hombrados Top scorer: Kiril Lazarov 56 goals

Last 16 matches: BM Atlético Madrid vs Füchse Berlin 29:29 Füchse Berlin vs BM Atlético Madrid 26:27 Road to the quarter-finals: The runners-up of two previous season lost several key players during the summer and had to take several blows from the other two powerhouses in the group as they lost all matches against Kiel and Veszprém. They also lost unexpecting two points in Sävehof, but their goal of reaching the knock-out stage was never really endangered. In the most thrilling match in the last 16 they only draw at home with Berlin, however Kiril Lazarov send his team to the top eight with a shot 25 seconds left.

Club achievements EHF Champions League: Participations (including 2012/2013 season): 10 Winner (3): 2005/2006, 2007/2008, 2008/2009 Final (3): 2004/2005, 2010/2011, 2011/12 Semi Final (1): 2003/2004, 2009/2010 Quarter Final (1): 2006/2007 Cup Winners Cup: Winners 2001/2002, 2002/2003 City Cup: Finalists 1998/1999 Spanish champions: 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 Spanish Cup winners: 2003, 2008, 2011, 2012

Potential opponents: HSV Hamburg (GER), MKB Veszprém KC (HUN), Vive Targi Kielce (POL), FC Barcelona Intersport (ESP)