Metz Handball

History

Over the past few decades, Metz Handball has become the most prestigious women's handball club in France. It is also one of the oldest institutions playing in the French elite.

The club was created in 1965 under the name of ASPTT Metz, but it wasn't until 1968, with the creation of the women's team, that the club became well-known in the sport.

Second-place finishers in France and semi-finalists in the Cup of Cups in 1977, the men's team gave ASPTT Metz its first prestige on a major stage. But in the shadow of the men's team, the women's team progressed year after year until being promoted in 1986 to France's top tier, without being relegated since. The coach of the team at that time was Frenchman Olivier Krumbholz, who later became the successful national manager for France. Since the promotion, Metz HB has had overwhelming success with 24 National Championships from 1989 to 2022, which is the all-time record in the French Women's First League Championship.

Metz Handball is progressively establishing itself as a strong place in European handball. A first epic saw the Dragonnes reach the semi-final of the Cup Winners Cup in 1999. They then became famous in the EHF Cup where, after several quarter finals, they played a first European final in 2013 but did not manage to win the title. The following seasons, the club gains momentum and shines in the Champions League. Unlucky quarter-finalists in 2017 and 2018, Metz participated for the first time in the Final 4 of Europe's most prestigious competition in 2019, where they finished fourth.

After a season without any trophy in 2021, Metz Handball realizes the most beautiful season of its history. The club won a 24th French Championship title, a 10th French Cup, and became famous in the Ligue Butagaz Énergie with a flawless record: 26 victories in 26 games. For the second time in its history, the Dragonnes participated in the Final 4 of the Women's EHF Champions League and won their first European medal by finishing third.

Name

• 1967–2002: ASPTT Metz
• 2002–2005: Handball Metz Métropole
• 2005–2009: Handball Metz Moselle Lorraine
• 2009–: Metz Handball

Results

;National competitions

• French Championship:
  • [[File:Gold medal with cup.svg|20px|First place]] Winners (27): 1989, 1990, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
  • [[File:Silver medal with cup.svg|20px|Runner-up]] Runners-up (8): 1991, 1992, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2012, 2015, 2021
• French Cup:
  • [[File:Gold medal with cup.svg|20px|First place]] Winners (13): 1990, 1994, 1998, 1999, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
  • [[File:Silver medal with cup.svg|20px|Runner-up]] Runners-up (7): 1987, 1992, 1993, 2001, 2005, 2009, 2018
• French League Cup:
  • [[File:Gold medal with cup.svg|20px|First place]] Winners (8): 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014
  • [[File:Silver medal with cup.svg|20px|Runner-up]] Runners-up (1): 2004 ;International competitions
• [[File:Shield of the European Union.svg|20px]] EHF Cup (C3):
  • [[File:Silver medal with cup.svg|20px|Runner-up]] Silver: 2013
• [[File:Shield of the European Union.svg|20px]] EHF Cup Winners' Cup (C2):
  • Semi-finalist: 1999, 2004, 2010, 2011
• [[File:Shield of the European Union.svg|20px]] EHF Champions League (C1):
  • [[File:Bronze medal with cup.svg|20px|Third place]] Bronze: 2022
  • Fourth place: 2019, 2024, 2025
  • Quarterfinalists: 2017, 2018, 2021, 2023

European record

Team

Current squad

:Squad for the 2025-26 season ;Goalkeepers

• 1 SWE Johanna Bundsen
• 79 CZE Sabrina Novotná
• 94 FRA Catherine Gabriel (out on loan to FRA ESBF Besançon until 30 June 2026) ;Wingers players ;LW
• 6 FRA Chloé Valentini (c)
• 10 FRA Suzanne Wajoka ;RW
• 28 FRA Lucie Granier
• 98 FRA [[Image:Injury icon 2.svg|15px]] ;Line players
• 15 FRA Anne-Emmanuelle Augustine
• 27 FRA Sarah Bouktit (c) ;Back players ;LB
• 9 SWE Tyra Axnér
• 22 GER Xenia Smits
• 23 Republic of the Congo Betchaïdelle Ngombele

;CB

• 29 FRA Léna Grandveau
• 38 HUN Petra Vámos
• 76 FRA ;RB
• 11 HUN Anna Albek
• 20 FRA Laura Flippes (maternity leave)

Transfers

:Transfers for the 2026–27 season ;[[Image:Arrow-up.gif]] Joining

• FRA Lilou Pintat (LP) (from FRA JDA Dijon Handball)
• ESP Lyndie Tchaptchet (LP) (from ESP BM Bera Bera)
• BRA Gabriela Moreschi (GK) (from ROU CSM București)
• DEN Kristina Jørgensen (CB) (from HUN Győri ETO KC)
• FRA Yvana Atangana (LB) (from FRA Training Center)

;[[Image:Arrow-down.gif]] Leaving

• SWE Johanna Bundsen (GK) (to DEN Odense Håndbold)
• FRA Catherine Gabriel (GK) (to ?)
• FRA Anne-Emmanuelle Augustine (LP) (to FRA JDA Dijon Handball)
• CRO Mia Brkić (LP) (to CRO Podravka Koprivnica)
• FRA Sarah Bouktit (LP) (to HUN Győri ETO KC)
• GER Xenia Smits (LB) (to DEN Odense Håndbold)
• SWE Tyra Axnér (LB) (to ROU CSM București)
• FRA Laura Godard (LW) (effective 31 December 2025)

Technical staff

:Staff for the 2025–26 season

• FRA Head coach: Emmanuel Mayonnade
• RUS Assistant coach: Yekaterina Andryushina
• FRA Physical coach: Samuel Breton
• FRA Goalkeeping coach: Vincent Gérard
• FRA Physiotherapist: Alexandre Pawlowski
• FRA Physiotherapist: Pierre Gillet
• FRA Physiotherapist: Charles Balanger
• FRA Doctor: Thierry Weizman
• FRA Video analyst: Edgar Le Denn

Academy

Training Center

:As of the 2025–26 season{{cite news | access-date = 8 September 2025}}

;Goalkeepers

• 31 SRB Tatjana Cinku
• 33 BRA Manuella Antunes Navarro ;Left Wingers
• 7 FRA Nélya Goval ;Right Wingers
• 4 FRA Blandine Gros
• 78 FRA Clémence Castets ;Line Players
• 22 ITA Alice Giliberto
• 25 FRA Eléa Ferdilus (c)
• 88 FRA Marie-Eve Holler ;Left Backs
• 8 FRA Helea Thevenot
• 14 CMR Yvana Antangana (c)
• 32 FRA Maily Etilopy ;Centre Backs
• 5 FRA Isais Nguon
• 57 FRA Anaïs Ababsa ;Right Backs
• 3 FRA Ludyvine Kaakil-Talaba
• 18 FRA Fiona Gooroosamy

Men's team

:As of the 2025–26 season{{cite news | access-date = 21 September 2025}}

;Goalkeepers

• 1 FRA Hugo Bordy
• 16 FRA Thomas Saint Martin ;Left Wingers
• 3 FRA Mateo Viguier
• 24 FRA Vincent Massaro
• 29 FRA Lucas Kastel ;Right Wingers
• 11 FRA Nathan Hurstel
• 19 FRA Nathan Andrezo
• 44 FRA Xavier Blond ;Line Players
• 9 FRA Antoine Gremeaux
• 10 FRA Titouan Bourgeais
• 13 FRA Emile Clément (c)
• 14 FRA Charlelie Gannac ;Left Backs
• 12 FRA Lory Altis
• 45 FRA Antonin Bertrand ;Centre Backs
• 39 FRA Théo Texier
• 57 FRA Simon Vauchelet
• 77 FRA Alexandre Belin ;Right Backs
• 7 FRA Lucas Friang
• 8 FRA Mathis Gonzalez

Statistics

Top scorers in the EHF Champions League

:(All-Time) – Last updated on 20 December 2025

Individual awards in the EHF Champions League

Notable former players

Retired numbers

• FRA Camille Ayglon
• FRA Paule Baudouin
• FRA Isabelle Cendier Ajaguin
• FRA Chloé Bulleux
• FRA Cléopatre Darleux
• FRA Béatrice Edwige
• FRA Laura Flippes
• FRA Laura Glauser
• FRA Astride N'Gouan
• FRA Nathalie Selambarom
• FRA Gervaise Pierson
• FRA Orlane Kanor
• FRA Tamara Horacek
• FRA Méline Nocandy
• FRA Leila Lejeune
• FRA Manon Houette
• HUN/FRA Melinda Jacques-Szabó
• FRA Nina Kamto Njitam
• FRA
• FRA Laurisa Landre
• FRA Amandine Leynaud
• FRA Marion Limal
• FRA Stéphanie Ludwig
• FRA Nodjialem Myaro
• FRA Claudine Mendy
• FRA Gnonsiane Niombla
• FRA Allison Pineau
• FRA Katty Piejos
• FRA Estelle Vogein
• FRA Linda Pradel
• FRA Sophie Remiatte
• FRA Maakan Tounkara
• FRA Delphine Guehl
• FRA Isabelle Wendling
• FRA Grâce Zaadi
• FRA Hatadou Sako
• FRA Camille Depuiset
• FRA
• FRA Djazz Chambertin
• ANG Justina Praça
• ANG Stelvia Pascoal
• BRA Bruna de Paula
• BRA Adriana Cardoso
• CRO Klaudija Bubalo
• CRO Kristina Franić (Elez)
• CRO Ivana Kapitanović
• CRO Ćamila Mičijević
• CRO Ivana Lovric
• CRO
• CZE Lenka Černá
• CZE Pavla Poznarová
• CZE Lenka Kysučanová
• DEN Louise Burgaard
• DEN Kristina Jørgensen
• DEN Anne Mette Hansen
• ESP Lara González
• GER Xenia Smits
• GER Alina Grijseels
• HUN Andrea Farkas
• HUN Viktória Csáki
• HUN Zsófi Szemerey
• MNE Marina Vukčević (Rajčić)
• NED Debbie Bont
• NED Yvette Broch
• NED Jurswailly Luciano
• RUS Ekaterina Andryushina
• RUS Valeriia Maslova
• RUS/FRA
• SRB Zita Galic
• SRB Kristina Liščević
• SRB Tatjana Medved
• SRB Svetlana Ognjenović
• SRB Slađana Pop-Lazić
• SLO Ana Gros
• SLO Tjasa Stanko
• UKR Olga Peredery
• ROU Carmen Nițescu

Head coach history

Stadium

• Name: Les Arènes
• City: Metz
• Capacity: 4,500 / 5,000
• Address: 5 avenue Louis-le-Débonnaire 57000
• Played in the arena since: 2001-

Kit manufacturers

• GER Kempa

References

References

1. (June 2023). "History of Metz Handball".
2. (June 2023). "History of Metz Handball".
3. (June 2023). "History of Metz Handball".
4. "EHF Final4 Women 2022". European Handball Federation.
5. "European record - Metz Handball". [[European Handball Federation.
6. https://metz-handball.com/2026/01/05/kristina-jorgensen-le-joyau-messin/
7. "Metz Handball". European Handball Federation.
8. (10 May 2019). "All-Star team gets fresh look in 2019". eurohandball.com.
9. (5 June 2020). "New All-Star Team features three fresh names and returning Neagu". eurohandball.com.
10. (27 June 2024). "EHF Excellence Awards 2024: These are the season's best players". eurohandball.com.
11. (11 June 2025). "EHF Excellence Awards 2025: Women’s Team of the Season revealed". eurohandball.com.
12. "New coach in Metz as Roussel has responded to call of Chartres".