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.

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.”