Welcome to the IKF Korfball Champions League!
The Executive Committee of the IKF decided in 2022 to launch a new competition format for the club competitions in Europe. The format entails a series of events eventually culminating in a Final event for the six strongest European clubs, and Challenger and Satellite Finals for lower-ranked clubs.
The new competition was branded as the IKF Europe Korfball Champions League (KCL). It is the joint successor of the IKF Europa Cup and the IKF Europa Shield. The IKF Europa Cup existed for almost 60 years and was open to the champions of all European leagues. The IKF Europa Shield, that has existed for about 20 years was open to the vice-champions of a selected set of European leagues.
In the initial KCL 2022-23 setup, two clubs took part from the strongest 7 national leagues in Europe (Belgium, Catalonia, Czech Republic, England, Germany, Netherlands, and Portugal), and 1 club from the other national leagues in Europe. Eventual quota for participation were determined based on a IKF’s coefficient system.
This competition format allows for more matches between clubs of similar strength, doing justice to the growing club competitions in Europe. The KCL consist of three successive qualification rounds, with stronger clubs entering in later phases of the competition, and three Final competitions: The Korfball Champions League Finals, the KCL Challenger Finals, and the KCL Satellite Finals.
The KCL aims to foster competitive matches between clubs of similar levels across Europe, and provides a platform for clubs to gain valuable international experience and pursue titles across multiple levels.
In 2023, the IKF launched a new refined set-up after the inaugural season 2022-23. The IKF EXCO evaluated the events, taking into consideration the feedback of the participating clubs, the national federations, the IKF Officials and the IKF Committees.
The new set-up honoured the main goals of the IKF KCL, while adjusting it in such a way that the main feedback points were incorporated. The main goals that form the fundament for the IKF KCL are:
- Have more competitive matches between clubs of similar level from different countries across the entire European club competitions;
- Improve quality at all levels;
- Have a feasible path to winning a title across multiple levels;
- Have competitive finals (KCL, Challenger, Satellite);
- Gradually increase the number of club teams from a country that can get European competition at their level.
These findings led to this year’s set-up of the IKF Korfball Champions League for the season 2024-25 (see picture on top).
Competition model | 2024-25
Teams are seeded based on the previous year’s KCL results, with a clear structure for filling spots in each round.
On June 24, 2024, national federations received the invitation letter and registration form for their qualified teams. The locations of the several rounds and finals will be reavealed as soon as they are confirmed.
Update 1/8/2024 – Korfball Champions League 2025: The Launch Of A New Season
Criteria for participation:
- Club teams from countries with National club championships with at least three teams for the past two consecutive years.
- Teams must finish 1st, 2nd, or 3rd in the national championship preceding the event. A, B, C, D, E Countries will have the right to subscribe different number of teams.
- Dates & host cities: 27-29 September 2024 in Lisbon, POR (R1-A) and Budapest, HUN (R1-B).
- Participants: 16 teams (Champion and Vice-Champion, possibly 3rd place for B-countries; Champion only for D or lower countries. If there are still vacancies, C- countries possible have 3 teams invited and D- countries possibly have 2 teams invited). Update: Only 13 teams will play this 1st Round after deadline to officially subscribe.
- Format: Two rounds (R1A and R1A) held simultaneously from Friday evening to Sunday.
- Structure: Teams ranked by previous year’s ranking and country’s coefficient. Groups of four with cross-finals and finals. Shorter matches (D3 scenario), allowing multiple matches per day.
- Qualification: Top team from R1a and R1b advances to R2; 2nd and 3rd place teams proceed to Satellite Final.
- Dates & host city: 26-30 November 2024 (new dates) in Twardogóra (Wroclaw), POL.
- Participants: 10 teams. Update: ENG2 did not subscribe, so 1st ranked team of KCL R1 (CAT3) was pulled up to R2.
- Format: One location from Tuesday evening to Saturday.
- Structure: Two groups of five, round-robin matches within each group.
- Qualification: Top team from each group proceeds to KCL Final; 2nd and 3rd place teams proceed to Challenger Final.
- Dates & host city: 17-19 January 2025 in Kocaeli, Türkiye.
- Participants: 4 teams. (Due to the late withdrawals of 3 teams at the Challenger Final and 1 at the Satellite, there will be a round robin amongst 3 teams and 1 from the Challenger Final)
- Format: Friday evening to Sunday, round-robin format.
- Qualification: 2nd and 3rd place teams from R1a and R1b.
- Dates:
24-26 January 202517-19 January 2025 in Kocaeli, Türkiye. - Participants: 4 teams. (Due to the late withdrawals of 3 teams at this Final, there will be a round robin amongst 4 teams with the 3 remaining Satellite finalists)
- Format: Friday evening to Sunday, round-robin format.
- Qualification: 2nd and 3rd place teams from R2 groups.
- Dates: 5-8 February 2025 in Lisbon, Portugal.
- Participants: 6 teams.
- Format: Two groups of three, round-robin format, cross-finals and finals.
- Qualification: Top 4 teams from the previous year’s edition and winners of R2 groups.
Live streams, results and social media
All fans around the world can follow this tournaments live on youtube.com/ikfchannel and on www.worldkorfball.sport (with live results and streams, statistics, scorers, play-by-play …), as well as on social media on the hashtags #KCL and #korfball, to find the best images, clips and highlights.
You can find all this content and much more visiting the official IKF profiles (see below):
► facebook.com/korfball.org
► twitter.com/korfball
► instagram.com/korfball_org
► tiktok.com/@korfball.sport
Latest KCL news & quick access to all info: korfball.sport/KCL
8/2/25: PKC/Vertom wins the IKF Korfball Champions League 2025
3/2/25: Daily coverage of the IKF KCL Final 2024-25
27/1/25: Match schedule for the IKF KCL Final 2024-25
19/1/25: K. Prostějov (CZE) and Guardians SC (HUN): Champions of the Chall. & Sat. Finals 2024-25
16/1/25: Daily updates of the Chall. & Sat. Finals
2/1/25: Published the Match Schedule for the Chall. & Sat. Finals
12/12/24: KCL Final Group Phase Live Draw: Tuesday, 17 Dec, at 20:30 CET
9/12/24: Lisbon will host from 5 to 8 Feb 2025 the KCL Final
30/11/24: Bec KC and Tus Schildgen qualify for the KCL Final
26/11/24: Daily updates of the IKF KCL Round 2 here!
21/11/24: The Satellite & Challenger Finals will be played from 17 to 19 January 2025 in Kocaeli, TUR.
24/10/24: Published the match schedule for the KCL Round 2
30/9/24: Adler Rauxel and KLX de Lisboa triumph in KCL Round 1
27-29/9/24: Daily Recap: IKF KCL Round 1-A & B 2024-25
27/9/24: The 1st Rounds of the IKF Korfball Champions League start today!
25/9/24: Korfball Champions League Round 2 group draw completed!
24/9/24: Round 2 Live Group Draw: Wednesday, Sept 25th, at 20:00 CEST
20/9/24: Published the R1-A & R1-B Match schedules
30/8/24: Marcovia Marki withdraws from the Round 1-A
2/8/24 – The participants at the R1-A & B are known
1/8/24 – R1 Live Draw: 2 Aug 2024, at 20:00 CEST
1/8/24 – Korfball Champions League 2025: The Launch Of A New Season
25/6/24 – Qualified teams for the season 2024-2025
10/2/24 – PKC claim 2nd consecutive Korfball Champions League title
8/2/24 – KCL Final: Daily Recap
2/2/24 – KCL Final Streams Live on Olympic Channel!
28/1/24 – KK Brno triumphs at the KCL Challenger Final 2024!
24/1/24 – All ready for the KCL Challenger Final!
20/1/24 – Schweriner KC wins the Satellite Final
16/1/24 – The Satellite Final is ready to start!
30/12/23 – The Challenger Final is coming to Lisbon!
22/12/23 – KCL Satellite Final: Match schedule
19/12/23 – KCL Final: Match schedule
14/12/23 – KCL Final Groups Live Draw
14/12/23 – IKF KCL 2024 final group stage draw
3/12/23 – IKF KCL Round 2 Recap
27/11/23 – Follow here the KCL R2
25/9/23 – IKF KCL Round 1 Recap
20/9/23 – The IKF KCL is ready to start!
