Eight teams eye last step on road to Budapest
The EHF Champions League Women 2025/26 is heading towards the pinnacle of the season: the Raiffeisen Bank EHF FINAL4 2026. Two weeks after the play-offs, the first leg of the quarter-finals this weekend opens the ultimate quest for tickets to Budapest, with two French, two Romanian, two Danish and two Hungarian sides in the mix.
The tie is very difficult but we are in the Champions League quarter-finals and I don't think we are under any pressure. I think we have a chance to make history, even though we know it's very difficult, and we have a lot to gain and little to lose. Anna Vyakhireva and Ana Gros are probably the best right backs of recent years. It's a very well-balanced team in every position, but I think our chances will depend a lot on whether we play a good first game in Bistrita and leave the tie open for the second game in Brest.
On a personal level, this is very special. Above all, I think, or at least I hope, that these won’t be the last two Champions League matches of my career. I’m thinking about that a lot. I would love to finish my career at the EHF FINAL4 and give everything I have for these next two games.
The key to a win is going to be our defence. Our offence has been great this entire season while our defence has been a bit unstable. Recently, we have added layers to our base in our defence, but the key is we have to stand our ground there. Because our offence will produce goals.
I really believe in the team as a good team spirit can do the job for us. We know that we are facing Team Esbjerg, which are a good team with the best players in the world. But we really want to go to the next round, everybody in Bucharest wants this for many years now and now I think it's time to do it.
This is a team that got off to a very poor start in the Champions League but managed to turn things around to finish the group stage in fine style. They didn’t really struggle against Dortmund in the quarter-final. They remain a very competitive, well-rounded side, which don’t necessarily have an advantage over us, but who have the added incentive of qualifying for an EHF FINAL4 just five minutes from home.
This is a team that can win the Champions League, and they have qualities to win the Champions League. If they want to win it, they have to beat us. We see this as a big, big game and a big hurdle that we have to pass to once again qualify for EHF FINAL4. But we feel good now, in a good shape.
