Article by Adrian Jitea, Costi Prună – Published on Saturday, 06 June 2026, 15:41 / Updated on Saturday, 06 June 2026 15:41
Metz – CSM Bucharest is the first semifinal of the Handball Champions League Final Four. The game is scheduled today, from 16:00, liveTEXT on GSP. ro, with information and images from the MVM Dome, and televised on Prima Sport 1 and Digi Sport 1.
- The second semi-final, Brest – Gyor, will also be played today, from 19:00. The grand final is scheduled for Sunday, from 19:00.
After a wait of 8 years, CSM Bucharest returns among the 4 best formations of the continent. Specialists offer him a second chance in front of Metz, but the status of outsider has cost the Romanian vice-champion many times. The most important moment, in 2016, when the “tigresses” lifted the only trophy of the League.
Today's semifinal opponent has 4 Final Four qualifiers to her credit, but has never made it all the way.
UPDATE. 15:15: Congestion at the gates of the arena
Thousands of people have already arrived at the gates of the MVM Dome. Romanian fans are in large numbers. According to the latest estimates, around 2,000 will attend the match with Metz
Metz – CSM Bucharest, live from 16:00
Beyond the huge stakes, it will be a duel of emotions. Many of the handball players of CSM Bucharest are in the last weekend in the blue shirt. The situation is similar in the case of Metz, the stars will leave. Sarah Bouktit will play for Gyor next season, while goalkeeper Johanna Bundsen will go to Odense.
The show will also be in the stands. On Friday evening, the organizers opened the MVM Dome for a meeting between the teams and the fans. About 2000 people responded to the invitation. The supporters of CSM Bucharest were noisier, those of Metz more. However, fair play prevailed. Today, there is a good chance that we will see the hall full, 20,000 people!
Bojana Popovic: “I came to Budapest to win!”
Optimism is at a high level within the team of CSM Bucharest. Bojana Popovic has her eyes on the trophy and is not satisfied with anything else.
“We are in Budapest not just to play. We came to win. There is no secret, there is no miracle, we play handball the way the girls like it.
It's a team that works very well together. We prepared very well for this match. We know everything about Metz. It's just one match, a day where everything has to be at a good level. After the match, we will see how we did,” said Bojana Popovic.
A first “7” probably for CSM Bucharest: Eriksson, Friis, Jaukovic, Omoregie, Maslova, Ostergaard, Pintea.
Metz has been coached for 10 years by Emmanuel Mayonnade, the French coach being considered among the most valuable in the world. He says that it is very difficult to achieve an important thing in the first attempt and he thinks that it does not matter that Metz won the previous 5 games against CSM Bucharest, because the Bucharest formation plays a different handball without Cristina Neagu.
We have advantages everywhere, and every time we have an “opportunity” we manage to find a way to lose them, so I don't think we have a psychological advantage. The coach of the CSM team is no longer the same. Neagu is no longer there. The balance of the team is different. Honestly, I didn't even know we had won five in a row against them. For me, everything starts at 0-0
– Emmanuel Mayonnade
A possible first “7” for Metz: Bundsen, Valentini, Axner, Vamoș, Grandveau, Granier, Bouktit.
How CSM Bucharest reached the Final Four:
- 2nd place in group B with 10 wins and 4 losses
- group goal difference: 452-402
- in the quarter-finals it passed Team Esbjerg: 25-26 away and 37-27 at home.
How Metz made it to the Final Four:
- 2nd place in group A with 12 wins and 2 losses
- group goal difference: 453-364
- in the quarter-finals it passed Ferencvaros: 31-31 away and 31-28 at home.
