RRI Sports Club: Handball

Three Romanian women's handball teams have secured access to the quarterfinals of European competitions.

Florin Orban, 28.02.2018, 13:10

In the Champions League, two stages ahead of the end of the main group stage, CSM Bucharest is now second ranked in Group 1. The Romanian champions qualified to the quarterfinals as far back as two weeks ago, tying at home with Rostov Don. Its 24 to 28 defeat on Monday at the hands of Gyor put the Hungarian team on top position in first group. This was CSMs first defeat since October, when it lost away from home to Nykobing of Denmark.

That worried the fans of the Romanian team, given that the defeat in the game with Hungary comes after the tie against the Russian champions, and that this weekend it will be a month without a victory in Champions League for CSM. On Sunday, they face Danish team Midtjylland, then they go to Russia on March 10 to face Rostov Don. CSM is now tied for points with the Russian team, making that game a major event, considering that the point tally will decide which team the Romanians will be playing against in the quarter finals.

In the EHF quarterfinals, two Romanian teams are present: Sport Club Municipal Craiova and Handbal Club Zalau. Both are playing at home in the first leg this weekend. Craiova plays against heavy Russian team Lada Togliatti, that won the EHF Cup in 2012 and 2014, and went to the finals in Champions League in 2007.

The side from Zalau will be playing against a surprisingly successful team, Kastamonu Beledieyesi of Turkey. The latter managed to win Group C, ahead of Danish side Viborg and Norwegian side Byasen. It has a multinational line-up, including, among others, two Russian and three Croat players. The goalie is a Romanian, Anca Mihaela Rombescu, who has been playing for Turkish teams for the last 10 years.