The draw held in Vienna has determined that the Buducnost Bemax handball team will face a challenging group in the upcoming season of the Champions League.

Among the competitors from Podgorica are reigning European champion Djer, alongside Norway’s Vipers, Denmark’s Esbjerg and Odense, Germany’s Ludwigsburg (previously Bittighheim), France’s Brest, and Romania’s Rapid.

In addition to the current champions, the “blues” will contend with last year’s finalist Ludwigsburg, the Vipers who dominated the Champions League for three consecutive years until this season, and Esbjerg, which has participated in the last three final fours.

Also in the mix is Rapid from Bucharest, represented by former Budućnost captain Milena Raičević.

The second group includes FTC, Metz, ĆSM Bucharest, Krim, Storhamar, Nikobing Falster, Podravka, and Gloria.

The Champions League competition structure will remain unchanged for the next season, featuring two groups of eight teams each. The top two teams from both groups will directly advance to the quarterfinals, while those finishing in 3rd to 6th place will enter the playoffs.

The winners of the quarterfinal matchups will qualify for the final four, which is scheduled to take place at the “space” MVM home in Budapest no later than May 2027.

After several challenging seasons in the elite league, the Podgorica giants are entering the new season with significantly higher aspirations, particularly since Budućnost has bolstered its roster with several top players.

Key new additions to the team include Đurđina Jauković, Jelena Despotović, Nina Bulatović, Valerija Kirdjaševa, Džena Karlsson, Aisatu Kujate, Sakura Kametani, among others.

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