Athlete of the week

Handballer Crina Pintea

Radio România Internațional, 18.02.2025, 13:45

Romanian women’s handball team CSM Bucharest, in 2025 as well, have succeeded to go past the Champions League’s group phase. It has been a while since CSM Bucharest have secured the 3rd position in the competition’s Group A, also succeeding to advance to the quarterfinals’ playoffs.

CSM had a rather unassuming start in the ongoing season, so they sadly lost a number of precious points which denied them the opportunity to fight for one of the first two positions in the rankings. That could have secured them their ticket for the quarterfinals.

Gaining access to the competition’s quarterfinals were Metz Handball of France and Ferencváros Budapest, the teams that won their double-legged ties against CSM Bucharest. Notwithstanding, in the wake of their last defeat by French holders Metz Handball on January 12, CSM Bucharest have had a win-all record.

CSM’s most recent win was the one they succeeded this past weekend, when they trounced Norway’s vice champions Storhamar, 32-21, away, one more time proving they were a truly top-notch team. CSM Bucharest’s most efficient scorer was Crina Pintea, with ten goals on her record sheet.

Reason enough for Radio Romania International to designate Crina the Athlete of the week.

Crina Pintea was born on April 3rd, 1990, in eastern Romania’s Bacau County. At the age of 20, Crina made her debut as a senior player with Handball Club Zalău, with then head-coach Gheorghe Tadici at the helm. In 2015, with Handball Club Zalau, Crina Pintea reached as far as the EHF Cup’s final, also playing the EHF Cup’s semifinals in 2016.

In 2015, Crina Pintea began talks with HCM Baia Mare, and that is why Gheorghe Tadici excluded her from the team. Crina Pintea was then signed up by German side Thüringer, the team with which she also won the Bundesliga in 2016. In 2017 she played for the French team Issy Paris Hand, later known as Paris 92. For 2017 – 2018 competition season, Crina Pintea was designated the best pivot of the French domestic women’s handball championship. Later on, Crina’s contract with Paris 92 was taken over by the Hungarian side Gyor.

We recall in 2019, with Gyor, Crina Pintea won the Champions League. Crina Pintea then had a short stint with CSM Bucharest, returning to Gyor afterwards, for one single competition season. She has been playing for CSM Bucharest since 2022. With the national team, Crina made her debut in 2012. In 2015, with the national team, Crina Pintea won bronze at the World Championship in Denmark. Notwithstanding, in 2024, Crina Pintea made public her retirement from the national team.