Summary: Semi-finals await; opening party headlines Friday
Excitement is building towards the start of the semi-finals in the EHF Champions League Women 2022/23 and the EHF FINAL4 2023 is now officially underway, with the opening party having taken place at MVM Dome. Here, read all about how the semi-finalists — Vipers, Györ, Esbjerg and FTC — spent their last day before the games begin.
21:31
The opening party is soon to wrap up, the Twitch show has come to an end and the atmosphere around the team hotel is changing as the players ready themselves for tomorrow's action. The stage is fully set for a big Saturday in Budapest, when we will see the last four teams standing reduced to two in the race for the EHF Champions League 2022/23 trophy.
20:37
What a great reception for the teams at the opening party! It's interesting to note some players look very comfortable commanding the crowd off court as well.
Enjoy the best photos of the evening so far at MVP Dome below.
20:18
The team presentations have wrapped up and now the party part of the opening party is really underway, with Lotfi Begi now on stage for a couple of hours. This also means the teams are returning from MVM Dome or are now, with their media duties and opening party participation done, and it is time for fully focused mode to begin.
Meanwhile, the opening party Twitch show is still on. Check it out here.
19:28
The opening party Twitch show is now live! Join on the Home of Handball Twitch channel.
Watch the EHF FINAL4 opening party Twitch show
19:18
The opening party is in full swing, with Team Esbjerg currently on stage and FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria about to make the fans go absolutely wild as the psuedo-home team take their turn.
And if you're not in Budapest, you will soon be able to be part of the fun, as the opening party Twitch show begins. This time around, it's the (Un)Informed Handball Hour podcast lads — Chris O'Reilly, Alex Kulesh and Brian Campion — hosting, with special guest, Esbjerg goalkeeper Dinah Eckerle.
O'Reilly will also be the commentator for the weekend, guiding you through the games on EHFTV, while Campion will be spending most of his time behind a camera bringing you gorgeous footage and special moments not caught on TV from around the arena.
They will be live on the Home of Handball Twitch, right from MVM Dome, from 19:30 until 21:30.
18:12
While Györ are on stage at MVM Dome — and we wait for the photos and other social media content to start rolling in — we also have a behind-the-scenes look at their training session.
And who's schooling who in these first photos? It looks like Stine Oftedal has plenty of thoughts to share with coach Ambros Martin and perhaps her teammates as well — which is no surprise, given the brilliant leader she is on court.
17:54
There has been plenty of EHF FINAL4 talk today and in the past weeks, but now we are finally about to get started — the opening party is just minutes away!
Sure, we will be even more excited tomorrow as the matches draw closer, but this gathering of handball fans and the semi-finalists at the location where the title will be decided, MVM Dome, is the next best thing.
So what does the opening party entail? The four teams are about to be presented on stage, with Györ up first, followed by Vipers, Esbjerg and FTC. Following the team presentations will be a DJ party with Lotfi Begi.
Fans will be able to get photos and autographs from the players, take part in activities and games around the fan zone, enjoy food and drink, and get their hands on official merchandise.
16:33
So the media duty for the players today has come to an end, and focus has now switched to training, with the teams all taking their turns on court prior to the opening party later.
Want to hear more from the teams and their coaches? Read all the quotes from the media calls here. Below, a sneak peak of Esbjerg's training session this afternoon.
We proved that we are gritty, we proved that we stay true to ourselves, because this has been a rollercoaster season for us. It was a difficult one. We lost some games by big margins, but we still managed to claw back and be here in Budapest when it mattered.
There are a lot of people who call FTC underdogs but I think it would be a mistake if we approach them this way. They proved this season that they are here for a reason and they beat bigger clubs like Metz. We need to perform our best to beat them. We are well prepared for this challenge.
I expect a tough game, Vipers are an incredible team. They have maybe the best attack in the Champions League and they are running a lot. We have had plenty of time for preparation and talked a lot about them. The challenge is huge, but it is the Champions League semi-final, so it has to be like that.
This is my first [EHF] FINAL4 and to be here with FTC in the MVM Dome, in front of a record number of spectators, is the perfect picture for me. I play handball for these moments. The great number of the Hungarian supporters in the crowd will be an extra bonus. I cannot wait to enter the field.
The relationship with the [EHF] FINAL4 is one of love. A platonic love, of course, but it is exactly the format that can bring the outpour of emotion needed for such a competition, whether you win or you lose a game here. Basically, you have two games in two days to secure the trophy. You just need to ride the wave and see where that gets you.
