The handball Bundesliga runner-up Füchse Berlin showed no weakness at the end of the preliminary round in the European League. The defending champion defeated HC Izvidac from Bosnia/Herzegovina 34:23 (16:15) and goes into the main round with six wins from six games.
The Rhein-Neckar Lions missed the perfect result, suffering their first defeat at HBC Nantes with 25:32 (11:14). Like the French, the DHB Cup winner only takes two points into the second phase of the tournament. TSV Hannover-Burgdorf won 32:29 (14:19) against group runners-up NMC Gornik Zabrze and, like Berlin, started the next section with 4:0 points.
SG Flensburg-Handewitt celebrated a 42:19 (24:8) win against HC Lovcen-Cetinje from Montenegro. But for the North Germans it was no longer about anything: progression was already certain, after a win and a defeat in a direct duel with pursuers Kadetten Schaffhausen from Switzerland, the SG started the next phase of the second most important European Cup competition with 2-2 points.
In the main round, the 16 teams that took first and second place in Groups A to H play in four groups of four. The results of the duels between the qualified teams will be carried over to the main round. This begins on February 13, 2024.