The asymmetric unit of the title compound, [CuCl2(C16H14N2)2], comprises half of the complex. The CuII atom lies on a crystallographic twofold rotation axis and shows a significantly distorted tetrahedral coordination geometry. The dihedral angle between the phenyl rings is 74.3 (2)°. The crystal structure is stabilized by intermolecular π–π interactions [centroid–centroid distances = 3.635 (2)–3.803 (3) Å].