Returning to the Final Four of the Champions League in handball after 8 years, the CSM Bucharest women's team won the bronze medal as it did in 2017 and 2018. In the small final, the Romanian team defeated Brest.
CSMB won the bronze medal in the Champions League after 8 years (Photo: sportpictures)
The competitive year 2025/2026 ended with a victory for “Tigroaice”. Involved in the small final in Budapest, they prevailed 32-26 (15-13) against the French team Brest Bretagne Handball. It was a match dominated by the formation coached by Bojana Popovic, Iulia Curea and Alina Iordache, one that contrasted with the one in the semi-final on Saturday, June 6, where the former champion of Romania clearly lost (27-32) to Metz (France).
A few minutes after winning the bronze medal, as she did in 2017 and 2018, the coach who changed the game and the attitude of our team for the better said she was proud of her students: “I thank the girls for the way they fought. They made this match extraordinary. Brest did a good job after the tough match they had yesterday (na – Saturday, June 6). It was hard to recover by playing later. I wanted the much better energy that we had in the semifinals, but today I am proud and happy. We finished the year well, as a team!”, said Bojana Popovic.
Bojana Popovic declared herself proud of her players (Photo: sportpictures)
Pintea could return to the national team
The leader of the Bucharest team, Crina Pintea (36 years old) scored 3 goals with Metz and 5 with Brest, contributing to the ranking in 3rd place. And if after the first game she had a more heated dialogue with a journalist, at the end of the confrontation on Sunday she found her smile again: “Today was a different day. That's probably why I felt that oppressive pain yesterday. I knew I could have done more and I didn't have the day we wanted it. As we said last night, we've shown all season that we have the power to come back stronger and I'm glad we were able to do it.”
The pivot wanted to thank the fans who came to Budapest to support the team; “It was an extraordinary atmosphere and I thank everyone who took the time to come here. I know that it was not easy for them to get there, that they did the impossible to be with us. I know many stories about this and we are grateful to them. They were always by our side and showed us that they are close. In the end, they are the real ones, because they stayed by our side regardless of the results”, concluded Pintea, about whom the selector Ovidiu Mihăilă said in an intervention on “Handball Week”, on Digi Sport, that it is possible to return to the Romanian team. “She withdrew. As did Dindiligan. Dindi reversed the decision and I was happy. I will talk to Crina again. She may have an important contribution to the competition we will organize (na – Romania will play in Cluj in the Euro 2026 group in December)”.
Crina Pintea scored 5 goals in the match with Brest (Photo: sportpictures)
Brnovic spoke about the unity of the team
Pintea's colleague, Tatjana Brnovic noted the fact that CSM Bucharest was able to come back after the failure in the semi-final with Metz. “We did not manage our potential in the first match. We did not show what we can do, but in the second we wanted to prove what we are capable of. We wanted to enjoy handball and show what a great team we are. I am very proud. We showed that we are a team!” said the Montenegrin.
A similar opinion was expressed by Inger Smits: “Of course we wanted to reach the final, but if we couldn't we needed a change in our minds. I think we did it very well and very quickly. I felt we were more prepared. Brest had a late game on the first day. So maybe they were more tired, while we felt we had so much energy. When we are at our highest level it is very difficult to be defeated,” said the Dutchwoman, who he also referred to the injury to goalkeeper Gabriela Moreschi: “What happened to Gabi affected us all. We hope it's not that bad. It showed our character. And that's why we're so strong.”
Moreschi and Eriksson “closed” the gate
An important asset that CSM Bucharest had in the match with Brest were the goalkeepers. Gabriela Moreschi had eight saves in the first half (38% efficiency), which gave her team the lead. Substituted through injury in the second half, the Brazilian was replaced by Evelina Eriksson, who made five crucial saves in the final 20 minutes to help CSM leave Budapest with the bronze medal.
CSM Bucharest, masterful qualification in the ace box of the Champions League. “Tigreaicele”, in the Final Four, after 8 years
Gabriela Moreschi had saving interventions in the first half (Photo: sportpictures)
At the end of the match against Brest, Moreschi said: “After the semi-final, it was very difficult for us. We expected to have a better match against Metz. The fact that we got past that moment and played the way we did against Brest showed that we are very strong. I am very happy and proud for this medal.” As for her and Evelina Eriksson's development, the Brazilian avoided saying directly that thanks to them she won the CSMB: “It is known that goalkeepers are an important part of the game. I am also very proud of Eva. I really like the connection we have in goal. When I was injured, she told me that her saves would be for me.”
As for the supporters present in Budapest, Moreschi had only nice words: “It meant a lot to have the fans here. They supported us a lot. And I think that's the reason why we play handball. We train so much every day to participate in big events like this. And the fact that people appreciate handball is the best gift we can receive.”
The CSMB fans were also up to the task at the Final Four in Budapest (Photo: sportpictures)
“CSM was very strong physically compared to my players. We couldn't overcome them. But we tried, we gave everything and that's the most important thing”
Raphaëlle Tervel,
head coach Brest Bretagne Handball
Handball Champions League (Women)
Final Four – Budapest
Saturday, June 6, 2026
Semifinals
CSMB – Metz (France) 27-32
Brest (France) – Gyor (Hungary) 30-31
Sunday, June 7, 2026
Match places 3-4
CSMB – Brest 32-26
The final
Metz – Gyor 31-29
CSM Bucharest dramatically lost the youth final
In Budapest, in parallel with the senior women's competition, the final tournament of the EHF Youth Club Trophy took place. CSM Bucharest behaved more than honourably. In the semifinals, on Saturday, June 6, the youth team from the capital of Romania managed to eliminate Gyor! And not anyway, but coming back after being led at halftime by 8 goals (13-21)! CSMB won 41-39 after overtime. In Sunday's final, the team coached by Alexandru Moise, Elena Moise (son and mother) and Alexandru Botezatu lost 39-41 (13-13, 33-33), also after overtime, to another Hungarian team, DVSC Kezilabda Akademia from Debrecen. The main scorer of CSMB was Mara Iliesci, who scored 8 goals from 8 shots. “We gave everything again today, we never gave up. Right now, I'm disappointed that we didn't win the trophy, that we couldn't give it to our amazing fans. I hope to get to the MVM Dome again with our senior team,” said center Maria Sprîncenatu. In the small final, Gyor (Hungary) won 34-24 against Ferencvaros (Hungary).
CSM Bucharest wants the Champions League after a decade of waiting. He found out his opponent in the semifinals
The phases achieved by CSM Bucharest in the Handball Champions League (female)
2015/2016 – Final Four (winners)
2016/2017 – Final Four (took 3rd place)
2017/2018 – Final Four (took 3rd place)
2018/2019 – Quarter-finals (eliminated by Metz Handball)
2019/2020 – Quarter-finals (not played due to Covid-19)
2020/2021 – Quarter-finals (knocked out by CSKA Moscow)
2021/2022 – Quarter-finals (eliminated by Team Esbjerg)
2022/2023 – Quarter-finals (eliminated by Team Esbjerg)
2023/2024 – Quarter-finals (eliminated by Metz Handball)
2024/2025 – Quarter-finals (eliminated by Team Esbjerg)
2025/2026 – Final Four (took 3rd place)
The women's handball teams from Romania reached the semi-finals of the Champions League (Cup).
1961 – Bucharest Science (winner)
1962 – Bucharest Science
1963 – Rapid Bucharest
1964 – Rapid Bucharest (winners)
1967 – University of Timisoara
1968 – Rapid Bucharest
1972 – University of Bucharest
1973 – Timisoara University (finalist)
1975 – IEFS Bucharest
1982 – Bearing Brașov
1986 – Bacău Science (finalist)
1987 – Bacău Science
1989 – CS Mureșul Tg. Mures
1990 – Chemist Rm. Vâlcea
1992 – Chemist Rm. Vâlcea
2009 – Oltchim Rm. Vâlcea
2010 – Oltchim Rm. Vâlcea (finalist)
2012 – Oltchim Rm. Vâlcea
2013 – Oltchim Rm. Vâlcea
2016 – CSM Bucharest (winner)
2017 – CSM Bucharest (3rd place)
2018 – CSM Bucharest (3rd place)
2026 – CSM Bucharest (3rd place)
