Oana Manea, winner of the Champions League with CSM Bucharest, believes that Bojana Popovic's team has a good chance in the Final 4
Article by David Istrate – Published Sunday, May 17, 2026, 1:47 p.m. / Updated Sunday, May 17, 2026, 1:48 p.m.
Oana Manea (41 years old), the former pivot of CSM Bucharest and of the Romanian women's national handball team, believes that Bojana Popovic's team can do excellently in the Final 4 of the Champions League in Budapest.
After an 8-year break, CSM Bucharest qualified again for the Final 4 of the Champions League, and on Saturday, June 6, they will face Metz (France) for a place in the final of the competition. In the other semi-final, Gyor (Hungary) plays against Brest (France).
Oana Manea, before the Final 4 of the Champions League: “I think I can win, I can overcome anything”
3 weeks before the Final 4, Oana Manea, the legendary Romanian handball player, evaluated the chances of CSM Bucharest to win the trophy. In 2016, when the Tigresses won the Champions League, she was part of the team.
“I wish a lot for the girls, for the club. I think that maybe the good comes from somewhere else, if they didn't win the championship or the Cup, maybe this is their chance to win the Champions League. I don't want to give a prediction, maybe it's a superstition”, said Manea, quoted by as.ro.
“It's going to be different, no match is like the other. It only depends on them and their desire, they really wanted to reach the Final Four, there are players who…for example Omoregie, she's been around for so many years and she didn't manage to qualify. They want it very much, but everything depends on them, it will be a very difficult match. If they are as motivated as they were against Esbjerg, I think they can win, they can overcome anything“, added the former captain of the national team.
Internally, CSM Bucharest had a complicated season, with huge chances of being without a trophy. Bojana Popovic's team was eliminated in the quarter-finals of the Romanian Cup and, in the championship, Gloria Bistrița is the favorite for the title, especially after Saturday's victory, from the ground of CSM Corona Brașov.
On the other hand, externally, CSM Bucharest impressed, got past “dragon” Esbjerg in a final and qualified for the Final 4, hoping to repeat their 2016 performance.
