The EHF and Euro Hockey League is delighted to announce that the FINAL4 will go to Belgium for the first time with KHC Dragons home set to host the final stages of the tenth edition world’s best club competition on June 3 and 4, 2017.
EHL chairman Hans-Erik Tuijt said he is delighted that the tournament has been announced so early in 2017, giving all of the 16 clubs remaining in the competition the best chance to plan their route to glory.
“It is our aim to release the dates and locations for the EHL events as early as possible to our hockey fans in Europe,” he said. “This helps our local organisers to provide a memorable hockey experience and fans can plan their journey in time. This is why I am very pleased the board of KHC Dragons has worked out the plan to host the FINAL4 from as early as January.”
KHC Dragons chairman Hans Borstlap is delighted that his club will get to host the pinnacle of the European club season for the first time.
“We are very excited to host our European hockey friends at our beautiful club,” he said. “We believe we can give all our guests a great experience of top hockey combined with the joy of ‘the good life’.”
European Hockey Federation President Marijke Fleuren added: “I am very pleased that EHL is going back to Antwerp. The club is famous for its hospitality and I am sure that the European guests will enjoy themselves immensely!”
It will add to the list of excellent events hosted by the Brasschaat club, based in the north of Antwerp, with their famous “D-side” supporters group set to brew up a storm in the stands.
In 2015, Dragons welcomed almost 45,000 fans for the World League semi-finals in one of the biggest hockey events held in Belgium, showing their ability to put together a brilliant hockey tournament.
It acted as the qualifying stages for the Olympic Games where the Red Lions went on to win a silver medal in Rio with Belgian hockey continuing its rapid rise.
Dragons also hosted ROUND1 in October 2011 while the city, at the home of Royal Antwerp, also hosted that stage of the competition in the very first year of the EHL, giving a neat symmetry for this 10th season.
The FINAL4 participants will be determined at the KO16 in HC Oranje-Rood’s Eindhoven home from April 14 to 17, 2017. There, 16 clubs from around Europe will battle it out over 12 matches and four days of knock-out action.
Tickets for the EHL KO16 are currently on sale on: http://ehlhockey.nl/tickets/.