Raiffeisen Bank EHF FINAL4 flash quotes: Saturday 6 June
BUDAPEST - Comments from players and coaches after the Raiffeisen Bank EHF FINAL4 2026 semi-finals at the MVM Dome on Saturday.
BREST BRETAGNE HANDBALL vs GYÖRI AUDI ETO KC 30:31 (16:17)
Raphaëlle Tervel (FRA) – head coach, Brest Bretagne Handball
On the match:
“We knew that it would be a very tough game, but we were prepared to that. We were preparing for a lot of situations in attack and defence to try to beat them.
“We were so close, but we made a lot of mistakes. We gave a lot of gifts and they used it. I’m proud of my team, all the players were where we wanted us to be.
“It was an amazing game with a lot of suspense, with a lot of adaptation, so I’m really proud of all of them.”
On the team spirit:
"We knew that we could really put pressure on them. We really believed in ourselves. The week of training was quite unbelievable on all levels, in all strategies - in attack, in defence, we prepared everything. That paid off. That was what was amazing, everyone responded this evening.
"That's really what I'll take away, that we were together, that we were one team. I'm proud of that."
Ana Gros (SLO) – right back, Brest
On the defeat:
“I'm really sad, honestly, because I repeated many times, I don't really feel that Györ was much better than us today. I think we showed a great performance in both sides, attack and defence.
“At the end, it's one ball that decides, and unfortunately, there was some lost balls, some missed shots in this crunch time. I'm proud of the team, till the first to the last minute. It wasn't easy at all and I just hope tomorrow we can bring this bronze for the club. I think it's also very important."
On whether the experience and the atmosphere helped Györ:
“I mean maybe some things help them, they [the fans] push you, they give you more energy, but at the end of the day, we also had great supporters behind us. We heard them all the time, so it wasn't like we didn't have anyone. So, I really want to thank them that they were here for us. But at the end, it's one ball deciding, and this is what it was, luck on their side.”
On the 3/4 placement match:
“I expect it's going to be a very tough game. We want to take this bronze, no matter what. It's going to be tough to stand up after this defeat. But we have to do it. It's important, we play one more game and we want to win it.”
Per Johansson (SWE) – head coach, Györi Audi ETO KC
On the match:
“I don't think any team this season have challenged us this way that Brest did today. We were in deep trouble, we had hard to find the way to defend to them to connect with the goalkeepers.”
On how they won:
“We put tempo on the game and we scored a lot in the fast break, but they came stronger in the second half and I think is just down to the last five minutes, where we find something.
“It was a coin toss in the end. Fantastic team, Brest, everywhere in all positions, tricky, tactical, really tough to handle, it was one step before all the time and it was the toughest game I played I think as a coach on this level. I am also proud for the women's handball, that two teams can deliver this game like we did today.”
Nathalie Hagman (SWE) – right wing, Györi Audi ETO KC
On the win:
“It was a very tough game today. Both of us and Brest played a good game today, a lot of chaos today, I will say, and very, very high tempo in 60 minutes. But it's one game, it's 60 minutes, and in the end we were a little bit stronger today, and that was enough to take the victory.”
On whether the champions' spirit helped them prevail:
“A lot of girls in this team played a lot of important games, so of course it gives you something. But I also think Brest have this kind of players who have a lot of experience also. I think it's very small things who are a little bit more on our side in the end of the game. And we are lucky, we are happy, and tomorrow we will play the final.”
On the final:
“We also know Metz good from this season. We played against them two times in the group. I think they play a little bit different compared with Brest, even if both are from France. I think especially their counter, their running part is very, very strong. Tomorrow I think it will be one new game with a lot of running and to be smart and everything. But I really hope we will win tomorrow also.”
On the final match of her career:
“Right now I'm very happy and proud that my last handball game will be a final. I think it will be a little bit more emotional tomorrow. Now I'm trying to stay a little bit stable and focus on the last match.”
Csenge Fodor (HUN) – left wing, Györi Audi ETO KC
On the match:
“They really challenged us. Inside the field it felt really hard, this game and really long at the same time. I’m happy we could make this because Brest also could deserve this final.
“I’m really proud we could handle the hardest moments that we had on the field. This was one of the toughest games we had, this could have been a final. I think we deserved it and I’m really proud, but it was tough, so I’m really tired.”
Veronica Kristiansen (NOR) - left back, Györi Audi ETO KC
On whether she feels physical and emotional fatigue after the final:
“Actually right now, I feel I have a lot of energy, I don't know why. It's just feels really good to win the match, and I know it wasn't a beautiful match from both sides. But we were really fighting in the end, and I think there's where we win the game.
“But still, I think we have a lot of energy in the team, and now we just need to be smart with the recovery and be ready for tomorrow.”
On their team spirit:
“Never stop believing. Like we were really good with eye contact today and we felt ourself that we didn't play a super good match. And when we have like mistakes or the goalkeeper doesn't have a save, or we do it bad in defence, we just look in each other in the eye and like move to the next step. The belief was always there.”
On the final:
“I think it will be tough, I just feel that we need to be smart with the recovery and be prepared for tomorrow. I'm really looking forward for tomorrow."
Annika Lott (GER) – left back, Brest Bretagne Handball
On the defeat:
“At the end we made too many technical mistakes. Györ is a really really fast team, they could run and make the goals on the end.
“I don't know what to say, because I’m really disappointed, but at the same time also really proud of the whole team, because we played an amazing game in this hall, in this atmosphere. I think this is something we will never forget, because it was me personally also the first [EHF] FINAL4.”
On the placement match:
“It's hard to find the words, but there is another game tomorrow, we will regenerate now and of course we want to win one game here.”
METZ HANDBALL vs CSM BUCURESTI 32:27 (17:13)
Emmanuel Mayonnade (FRA) – head coach, Metz Handball
On the win:
“We were really sad last season here when we lost the semi final against Odense. We were in front for 45 minutes and we were almost the same tonight, so we were of course afraid. During the season we changed some details to be more ready for tonight. I don’t know if we have won because of it.
“But the girls, they did a good job and tried to play the match in a good way. As we have seen before, if you want to play the final of the [EHF] FINAL4, you need to give everything. Maybe we didn’t do it in the past, maybe I didn’t find a way to help my team, but tonight they did it, so congrats to the players.”
Tyra Axnér (SWE) – left back, Metz Handball
On the match:
“It was a great atmosphere in the arena from the fans. It was just amazing to play and I’m very proud of my team, the staff and everyone around. We focused on ourselves and it gave results today.
“This is what we need to do tomorrow. We have the capacity between ourselves, we just had to look into each other’s eyes, focus on the game plan, trust it and trust the process, and trust the capacity of every player next to you on the court.”
Lucie Granier (FRA) – right wing, Metz Handball
On her perfect performance:
“I feel really happy: happy for the team, happy for the people who work in this club and for the people who come to see us also, because there is a lot of people. So I feel that tonight everybody was good to play and when we have a moment not really nice, someone have my back. So it's like this we work today, and it was amazing.”
On her connection with goalkeeper Johanna Bundsen:
“We train a lot for this, and also Chloé [Valentini] and me loves to run, and Johanna loves to be a quarterback. So, I love this connection. I love the way she has confidence we will have the ball even if it's hard, and I'm proud of her performance tonight.”
On the final:
“We are excited, but after the shower we need to be focused on the next games. We will make video, we will put energy in our body and on our mind to concentrate for tomorrow.”
Johanna Bundsen (SWE) – goalkeeper, Metz Handball
On the semi-final:
“I'm just very, very happy about this game and the win today. I'm really proud of the girls and the team and the way we are preparing for this game and coming into this game and we believed in what we do and we did it very good today, so I'm very happy.”
On her performance:
“I'm just trying to be me. I'm not trying to change anything before a game. Just want to enjoy the game and play and do the thing that I really like and just trying to be me.”
On the final being the biggest moment in her club career:
“I never played a final in the Champions League before, and not even a semi-final, so of course it's a very big happening for me in my career. We will have some recovery and some food in our stomachs and then just prepare for the game tomorrow.”
Bojana Popovic (MNE) – head coach, CSM Bucuresti
On losing the semi-final:
“The expectation was too big.
“Many things happened during the 60 minutes, we started well, but I didn't feel the spirit, and what I expect from my team to enjoy the game little bit more. They were stiff and I try to wake up them, to make them relax and enjoy the game in the semi-final and don't think too much about ‘you love this, don't make a pressure on you’.
“But expectation was too big, we started [to] put the ball in the post, and Bundsen started to take some balls.
“I'm proud how they did the way until here, and also today, but now I am a little bit disappointed, because of this part. During the game you do mistakes, but in the end, this period should be little bit better.”
Crina Pintea (ROU) – line player, CSM Bucuresti
On losing the semi-final:
“Today was tough for us, I believe we put some pressure on us without no reason. After this game we can go the hotel, relax and tomorrow come back stronger. It happened so many times with our team, we have this power. We are here to fight until the end, even if it's not we wanted. This is what we are.”
Valeriia Maslova (RUS) – right back, CSM Bucuresti
On what went wrong in the semi-final:
“In the first half we didn't score a lot, 41 per cent for the goalkeeper matters a lot. And in the second half, we need to run better in defence, and Metz is a team where with whom you have to play defence, you have to run back, you have to play a bit smart, which we were not the best at today, but we have to be better tomorrow.”
On the 3/4 placement match on Sunday:
“It's [a] disappointing loss, of course we will be sad, but tomorrow is a new day, new game, and life will not finish on this, and we're looking forward to fight in another match with another team, and I hope we will succeed there.”
On what she would improve from the semi-final:
“We need to improve tomorrow and to be a little more calm, because the rest of the things we have, we just didn't do them as we should.”
Djurdjina Jaukovic (MNE) – left back, CSM Bucuresti
On the loss in the semi-final:
“I'm sad that we couldn't manage to win today. I think they deserved to win. We had some moments we respect, like our deals from the locker room, but then it was few moments and when we made mistakes, they punished us.
“It was like clear contra and then I think that we, there was some moments we stopped their fast break. We were also speaking that they are best in this. And some moments we stop, but then when we had some stupid technical mistakes, then it was hard to run back home, and then they score.
“I think this is the thing that made [the] difference today because I think that they also struggled to score on positional attack, they just like scored many easy goals like this from counter-attacks.”
On the 3/4 placement match:
“I know it's going to be hard to switch tonight and to fall asleep, but we need also to fight for our friends and families that they came here also for us, for the club, and we will try to do our best tomorrow to give the best performance.”
