CSM Bucharest finished the EHF Champions League Women season on the podium after defeating Brest Bretagne Handball 32-26 in the third-place match of the Raiffeisen Bank EHF FINAL4 2026, played at the MVM Dome in Budapest.
The Romanian champions responded strongly after missing the final one day earlier, turning the bronze-medal match into a clear statement of character, discipline and European quality. CSM led 15-13 at half-time and controlled the second half with authority, eventually securing a six-goal win against the French side.
The result gives CSM Bucharest third place in Europe’s most important women’s club handball competition and confirms the club’s return among the continent’s elite after an eight-year absence from the FINAL4 stage.
CSM Bucharest React After Semi-final Defeat
The bronze medal came less than 24 hours after a painful semi-final defeat against Metz Handball. CSM lost that match 32-27, missing the chance to play for the trophy, but the team’s reaction in the placement match was immediate and convincing.
Against Brest Bretagne, the Tigresses looked more composed, sharper in defence and more clinical in attack. Instead of allowing the semi-final disappointment to define the weekend, CSM used the third-place match to close the campaign with a result that matters both competitively and symbolically.
For Romanian handball, the victory is more than a consolation result. It places a Bucharest club back on the EHF Champions League podium and provides a strong reference point for the team’s future.
A European Podium for Romanian Handball
CSM Bucharest’s third place in Budapest confirms that Romanian club handball remains capable of competing at the highest European level. The club returned to the FINAL4 after a long wait and left Hungary with a medal, despite facing two French opponents in two days.
The win over Brest also adds another important European result to CSM’s history. The club had previously finished third in the EHF Champions League in 2017 and 2018, after winning the competition in 2016.
This new podium finish comes in a different era for the team, with a different squad and a different competitive context, but it carries similar weight: CSM Bucharest are once again among Europe’s top handball clubs.
Metz Wins the Trophy
The EHF Champions League title was won by Metz Handball, who defeated Györi Audi ETO KC 31-29 in the final. The French side completed a historic weekend in Budapest after first eliminating CSM Bucharest in the semi-finals and then beating the Hungarian powerhouse in the final.
For CSM Bucharest, the tournament ended with mixed emotions: the frustration of missing the final, but also the satisfaction of a podium finish in the strongest club competition in women’s handball.
The Tigresses leave Budapest with bronze medals and a clear message for the next season: CSM Bucharest are back in the European conversation.
![](https://valahia.news/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Explore-Bucharest.png")
