Club de Campo’s men will return to European competition at Easter 2021 for the first time in seven years following Real Club de Polo’s decision not to compete in the scheduled EHL Cup. 

It means Pablo Usoz’s side will be part of the Cup competition, a second-tier event introduced for just this season as a result of the current pandemic. 

The EHL Cup will feature eight men’s clubs in a straight knock-out competition from April 2 to 5, 2021. With the 2019/20 EHL Men and Women’s FINAL8 due to completed in October, it leaves a reduced timeframe to run the 2020/21 EHL. 

As such, the EHL Men’s competition has been split into two tiers for one season only with 12 sides contesting a FINAL12 event with the next eight teams taking part in the EHL Cup. The venue for both events will be determined later this year. 

Campo have played in four previous editions of the EHL, most recently reaching the KO8 in Eindhoven in 2014. Their best ever finish was a run to the final in 2011, becoming the only Spanish club to medal in the competition with a silver.  

Polo had previously been awarded the second European spot from Spain but decided not to take up the invitation with the RFEH subsequently offering the place to Campo.

The Madrid club will take on the new season with the addition of Ricardo Sánchez into its first men’s team. 

Sánchez (pictiured), 27, arrives from SPV-Complutense having previously spent a number of year in Belgium with KHC Leuven and La Gantoise. The Spanish international has played for his country 82 times and won silver at the 2019 European Championships in Antwerp. 

Campo’s women’s team, meanwhile, are hoping they can make their EHL debut at the FINAL8 in Amsterdam in October; they are drawn against Pegasus in the refixed 2019/20 season event.