FC Barcelona's rival in the group stage, the Champions League winners

The EHF held the draw for the upcoming 2014/15 VELUX Champions League this Friday, and FC Barcelona was placed in Group B. The Club’s rivals in the first phase of the competition will be Danish KIF Kolding team, the German SG Flensburg-Handewitt team, and one rival that will come out of the qualifying round. The qualifying round will feature HCM Constanta, Hasselt, Haslum HK and Besitkas.

Xavi Pascual’s reaction

After the draw, FC Barcelona manager Xavi Pascual noted that “all the teams that are in the Champions League are powerful and the groups are very difficult.” He added: “We will go up against the European champions, and we will be participating in the Super Gobe. We have to play Kolding, a team that had a great Champions League campaign last year.”

The Palau

The Barça manager went on to say that “it’s difficult to get easy teams in a Champions League draw. These teams always attract fans. Last year we had great attendance, the fans cheered us on in the Champions League and we know that this year, when the Danish team comes, when the Germans come, when the Polish come… the truth is that it will be difficult to finish first in the group, but that’s what we’re going to try to do. We need our fans to come to the Palau and cheer us on.”

The schedule

Barça’s first game in the competition is away to the Champions League holders Flensburg-Handewitt, in Sweden. The final game of the group stage will be agains the team that makes it out of the qualifiers.