Seven players who could shape the EHF Champions League Women

Powerhouses, underdogs and newcomers will all aim for the best possible outcome in the competition, with stars scattered around the 16-team line-up that will take to the court in September.

There are always players who outdo themselves in the competition, but one thing is assured: the EHF Champions League Women has the brightest collection of stars in club handball from all over the world. But which players will shine again on the biggest of stages?

Katrine Lunde

Katrine Lunde will enter her 18th season in the EHF Champions League Women, having won the trophy six times, a feat only three players – Ausra Fridrikas, Nora Mørk and Bojana Popovic – have achieved in their careers. The Norwegian goalkeeper will now aim for her seventh title, which would make her the most decorated player in the competition.

Sure, shot stoppers have the greatest longevity in handball, but what Lunde has done — adding two titles well in her early 40s — is unprecedented and incredible. Having the same motivation as when she made her debut, in the 2005/06 season for Aalborg DH, the Norwegian goalkeeper was crucial for Vipers’ challenge in recent seasons.

She saved 12 shots for a 29 per cent save efficiency in last season’s final against her former side, Györi Audi ETO KC, and will undoubtedly be one of Vipers' main weapons in their challenge to be the second team, after Györ, to claim three consecutive titles.

Henny Reistad

Henny Reistad, the MVP of the EHF FINAL4 in the 2020/21 season, moved to Team Esbjerg last summer, as she became one of the driving forces for the Danish side, who qualified for the final act of the competition for the first time. Reistad could not repeat her title-winning performance from Vipers, but she still hit the 100-goal mark in the EHF Champions League Women for the first time in her career — and the expectations are even bigger now.

The All-Star left back at the 2021 IHF Women's World Championship, Reistad's penchant for goalscoring and creating chances for teammates is difficult to replicate on the biggest of stages. She is a bona-fide star, the player who filters all the balls in attack, while also being an important piece in Jesper Jensen's defence.

If Esbjerg, who missed the chance to win the Danish league in May, want to return to Budapest, they will surely need the same output from Reistad, who scored 104 goals last season. Overall, the team definitely looks better, has more options and the Reistad-Mørk connection has already gelled in Norway’s national team.

Cristina Neagu

The Romanian left back has scored 910 goals in her star-studded career in the EHF Champions League Women and is chasing her third top goal scorer title, a feat previously achieved only by Natalia Morskova and Nataliya Derepasko. She needs only 90 goals to hit the 1,000-goal milestone — which will probably make her the third player to hit that mark in the competition — and 117 goals to leapfrog Anita Görbicz in the all-time top scorer standings.

Since joining CSM Bucuresti in the 2017/18 season, Neagu has been her team's top scorer in four of the last five EHF Champions League seasons, hitting the 100-goal mark three times. A born leader and the captain of the Romanian powerhouse, Neagu will turn 34 in just a matter of days and is set for another good season, which will be paramount for CSM's success in the EHF Champions League.

As time does not stand still, this may also be one of Neagu's final chances to be a force on the court while playing for a contending team. After securing the title with Buducnost in the 2014/15 season, when she scored 102 goals and was the joint top scorer of the competition, Neagu is eyeing her second title.

Ana Gros

Few players have produced a more consistent output of goals in the past few EHF Champions League seasons than Ana Gros. The Slovenian right back has scored at least 74 goals in each of the last six seasons. In fact, she is the only player to have scored at least 230 goals over the past two seasons, when she played for three teams — Brest Bretagne Handball, CSKA and Krim Mercator Ljubljana.

This time around, Gros will play for Győri Audi ETO KC, who have pulled off an amazing coup by signing her. It will be Gros’ second stint at the Hungarian powerhouse, after she first signed for Győr as a 19-year-old in 2010. She was not entirely ready for such a challenge back then, but the Hungarian side have now added one of the most reliable scorers in the competition.

In a team full of stars, it will be interesting to see how Gros adapts, but being a left-handed right back, she will surely have enough minutes at disposal to influence the outcome of the games with her powerful shots. While being a star-studded side, boasting countless players for this season, Győr have made one of the most interesting transfers of the summer in Gros.

Bruna de Paula Almeida

One of the brightest talents in the EHF Champions League Women, centre back Bruna de Paula Almeida was unstoppable in the EHF European League Women 2020/21, where she lifted Nantes to the title and became the MVP of the EHF Finals Women.

Moving to Metz Handball, the Brazilian centre back did not carry the form into the new side, yet she still scored 52 goals in her first season in the EHF Champions League Women. Metz Handball qualified for the EHF FINAL4 on the back on those performances, but Bruna de Paula’s potential has not been fully tapped into.

With six players departing before the upcoming season, including Grace Zaadi Deuna and Meline Nocandy, Bruna de Paula will feature even more prominently for Metz this season, as the 25-year-old will be the prime pick for the centre back position. With one season of experience under her belt, she could be one of the best players in the competition.

Dione Housheer

Winning the title in the Danish league is a tough proposition for any club involved, but Odense exceeded expectations in the final against Esbjerg. Odense's ambitions are now focused on the EHF Champions League Women, but they have some key players missing at the start of the competition, which could prove problematic.

The focus in attack will shift to Dione Housheer, who scored 79 goals as the top scorer for the Danish side in the Champions League last season. The All-Star right back of the Danish league last season has a great shot and could prove unstoppable for Odense this season, as they will undoubtedly rely on her throughout the season.

Her progress has been superb and, at only 22 years old, she already has plenty of experience at the highest level, which could prove crucial this season. If Odense are to compete, they will surely need Housheer in top form.

Sorina Grozav

It is always a challenge to find the dark horse of the EHF Champions League Women prior to the start of the season, as a team always slips under the radar. But Rapid Bucuresti can definitely be a dark horse this time around, as the Romanian champions provide the perfect mix of experience and youth for a title challenge.

Who can be the top player, though? There are plenty of possible answers, but one player who can really shape Rapid's season is 23-year-old left back Sorina Grozav. Her mother, Mariana Tirca, was one of the top players in the history of Romanian handball, winning Europe's premier competition with HC Podravka Vegeta in 1995/96.

Her daughter is a left back with a penchant for scoring goals. Grozav was the top scorer for Rapid in the Romanian league last season, with 146 goals. This will be her first season in the EHF Champions League, but if she matches her potential, Grozav can be Rapid's go-to player in a season where the Romanian champions have huge ambitions.