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.

The post CSM Bucharest Wins Bronze at EHF Champions League FINAL4 in Budapest appeared first on Valahia.News.

The Romanian champions lost the opening match 25-26, but the return leg in Bucharest became one of the most convincing quarter-final statements of the EHF Champions League Women season. CSM won 62-53 on aggregate and secured their place at the EHF FINAL4 2026 in Budapest.

CSM Bucharest Break the Esbjerg Curse

This was not just another qualification. For CSM Bucharest, Esbjerg had become a recurring obstacle in Europe. The two clubs met in the Champions League quarter-finals in four of the last five seasons, and Esbjerg had previously eliminated the Romanian side in 2022, 2023 and 2025.

On Sunday, April 26, 2026, that pattern ended emphatically.

CSM started with rare aggression and clarity, racing to a 6-0 lead in the opening minutes. Esbjerg scored their first goal only in the eighth minute, and although the Danish side later reduced the gap, they never truly regained control of the match. The hosts led 19-14 at half-time and absorbed Esbjerg’s brief second-half recovery before pulling away again.

Evelina Eriksson and Omoregie Set the Tone

Goalkeeper Evelina Eriksson was named Player of the Match after producing 14 saves and a 34 percent save rate. Her performance included three penalty saves, two against Henny Reistad and one against Nora Mørk, which proved decisive in stopping Esbjerg’s attempts to rebuild momentum.

Elizabeth Omoregie and Trine Østergaard led CSM’s scoring with six goals each, while Elin Hansson and Henny Reistad scored six apiece for Esbjerg. But the difference was not only in individual numbers. CSM looked more compact, more disciplined and mentally stronger in the key moments of the game.

When Esbjerg narrowed the score to 23-20, the match briefly appeared open again. CSM’s response was immediate. Instead of allowing the Danish side back into the tie, the Romanian team restored the distance and finished with a ten-goal victory.

Danish Press Admits Esbjerg Collapsed in Bucharest

The reaction in Denmark was direct. Team Esbjerg’s own official report described the Polyvalent Hall as a “Romanian cauldron” and admitted that a weak start was something the Danish side never recovered from. The club report noted that the 6-0 opening after six minutes made the task significantly harder and that CSM repeatedly stopped Esbjerg whenever the visitors came within reach.

Esbjerg head coach Tomas Axnér acknowledged after the match that his team had suffered a terrible start, that the atmosphere helped wake up the home crowd even more, and that Esbjerg had been forced to chase the game from the beginning. He also admitted that CSM were simply better on the day.

Local Danish outlet EsbjergLiv was even harsher, describing the result as a heavy beating for Team Esbjerg and writing that the Danish team was run over in Bucharest after a nightmare start and a lack of sharpness. The same report underlined the difficulty Esbjerg players had in beating Eriksson and concluded that CSM deservedly celebrated a place among Europe’s four best teams.

International sports coverage used similar framing, writing that Team Esbjerg “fell apart in a Romanian inferno” and missed out on the Champions League Final Four. The report also highlighted that CSM finally broke the quarter-final curse against Esbjerg and returned to the final weekend of the competition after eight years.

A Romanian Statement in European Handball

CSM Bucharest’s qualification matters beyond the scoreline. It restores the club to the European stage where it has long claimed it belongs, but where quarter-final exits had repeatedly damaged its credibility.

The scale of the achievement is clear: CSM returned to the top level of the EHF Champions League Women after an eight-year drought and after seven consecutive quarter-final eliminations, excluding the Covid-cancelled 2019/20 season.

The Final Four will take place in Budapest on June 7 and 8, 2026. CSM Bucharest will arrive there not as a symbolic presence, but as a side that has just eliminated one of the most feared teams in the competition with authority, intensity and tactical discipline.

The post EHF Champions League Women: CSM Bucharest Reach Champions League Final Four After Crushing Team Esbjerg in Bucharest appeared first on Valahia.News.

The Romanians rode a wave of momentum into the Danish clash, having secured a narrow but crucial victory on home soil. Last night’s encounter was tense, with both teams vying for European handball supremacy. Dinamo’s relentless defence proved a thorn in Skjern’s side throughout the match. Meanwhile, the offensive masterclass kept the Danish defence on their toes, creating opportunities for the clinical finishing of DINAMO’s strikers.

As the clock ticked down in the second half, Skjern launched a ferocious comeback attempt, sensing their Final Four hopes fading. However, the Romanians remained steadfast. Their defensive fortitude held firm, with every crucial block and gravity-defying save from their goalkeeper bolstering their belief. The victory sent the Romanian bench and pockets of travelling supporters into raptures.

This is a golden moment for DINAMO Handball. They have reached the pinnacle of European club handball for the first time and, at least for a moment, erased the failures of the football club in the Romanian Superliga, where the former glorious team is closer to relegation than ever before. With the unwavering support of their passionate fans ringing in their ears, DINAMO heads to the Final Four, brimming with confidence and the unwavering belief that they can conquer the continent.

The post DINAMO Bucharest Conquer Skjern in Denmark, Sealing Presence in EHF Champions League Final Four appeared first on Valahia.News.

Cristina Neagu, the best player on Romania’s team, missed the game because he is still suffering from a knee injury. However, all the Romanian players did their job and ensured the victory for their national team.

Romania confirmed its value again after beating Chile in the group’s first game, 44-19 (25-16). With 81 goals scored, Romania is the best-scoring team at this championship.

In the third match, Romania will meet the Danish solid team on Tuesday, December 5.

The post Women’s Handball World Championship: Romania – Serbia 37-28 (19-13) appeared first on Valahia.News.

The last game against Ukraine was lost, but as Austria beat the Faroe Islands in the other game, Romania’s team qualified for the EHF Euro 2024. They ranked second in the group, after Austria, with the same points as all the other two teams – Ukraine and Faroe Islands, but with superior goal difference.

Romania is one of the 24 teams that qualified for the event to be hosted in six cities, with Dusseldorf, Berlin, Mannheim and Munich as the venues for the preliminary round and Hamburg and Cologne as the destination for the main round.

The Men’s EHF Euro 2024 aims to break the attendance record for a handball match by holding the opening match of the championship inside the 50,000-seater Merkur Spiel Arena in Düsseldorf on 10 January.

Romania, under Xavier Pascual, will want to impress after 28 years of absence, and the Romanian fans of men’s handball will definitely cheer their favourite team from the stands.

The post Romania Men’s National Handball Team Qualifies for Men’s EHF Euro 2024 appeared first on Valahia.News.

Romania ended its group second with 7 points, behind Denmark, undefeated.

This year’s European Championship is organized by Slovenia, North Macedonia, and Montenegro between 4-20 November.

Romania is at its 14th participation in the final tournament.

Photo and video: Romanian Handball Federation Facebook account

The post Women Handball: Romania Beats Austria 38-29, Qualifies for European Championship in November appeared first on Valahia.News.

On the other hand, Ramnicu Valcea lost the second leg, after losing the first as well, against Herning-Ikast Handbold from Denmark.

The other Romanian women’s handball team that plays in EHF Champions League, CSM Bucharest, seems to have cleared their way to the quarter-finals, as CSA Moscow, its opponent, was eliminated from all EHF competitions along with all the Russian and Belarus teams.

Today’s performance is huge for the handball team of Baia Mare, but the opponents are very tough in the final four. The Romanian team will play against Herning-Ikast Handbold, Bietigheim or Viborg to secure a spot in the final.

Photo source: EHF

The post Handball: Romania’s Baia Mare in EHF European League Women Final Four appeared first on Valahia.News.

Xavier Pascual is not on his first try at this position. Three years ago, Xavier Pascual was forbidden by Barcelona to train Romania’s team, but also any other team, while being Barcelona’s and Romania’s coach.

This time, though, as he trains the handball players from Dinamo Bucharest, he’s free to also be the coach of the men’s national team. In his new position, Pascual already announced he would have the national team called up each month.

We have to know precisely where we stand now. For me, it is important to know that this is not my team, nor the team of the president, it is everybody’s team, it is Romania’s team and we need all the players, all the coaches, everybody to work together if we want to have a national team. We have to have call-ups, to have training stages, to talk to the club’s coaches and this starting from today.

Xavier Pascual, Romania’s Men Handball coach

Romania’s Men National Handball Team had some very good performances in the past, as they were four times World’s Champions. Also, Romania’s team won silver and bronze medals at the Olympic Games from 1972 to 1984.

The objective of the new coach is to qualify Romania for the Olympic Games in Paris, 2024. Until then, qualifying the national team to the World’s Championship in Sweden and Poland, 2023, is an intermediary objective.

The post Xavier Pascual Named Romania’s Men National Handball Team’s Coach appeared first on Valahia.News.