New Minaur, same ambitions

CS Minaur Baia Mare were one of the feel-good stories of the inaugural EHF European League Women edition, after hosting the EHF Finals and finishing third. However, things have changed at the Romanian side, with eight players leaving and six being ushered in.

In a nutshell, Baia Mare look to have taken a step down, but the ambitions remain. The challenge will be great for the new-look team and also for Raul Fotonea, the new coach. Fotonea, a former player for Baia Mare, also coached Minaur’s men team and the Romanian men’s youth national team, but does not have much European experience.

Main facts

• CS Minaur Baia Mare lost eight players this summer, including top goal scorer Jovana Kovacevic and line player Linn Blohm, their top two scorers in the EHF European League Women last season
• the Romanian side are strong on their home court, winning five out of the six games they played last season
• their start has been hampered by the high turnover of the roster this summer, losing four out of the nine games they played in the Romanian league
• with players from eight different nationalities, but with a strong Romanian core, Baia Mare are eyeing the quarter-finals phase for the second season in a row
• coach Costica Buceschi left for Kastamonu Belediyesi GSK, the Turkish champions who are playing in the DELO EHF Champions League, being replaced by Raul Fotonea

Most important question: How will they cope with their high turnover in the roster?

Eight players from the team that finished third in the EHF European League Women last season have left, including cornerstones like left back Jovana Kovacevic, line player Linn Blohm and goalkeeper Filippa Idehn.

While Blohm was a mainstay in defence and a crucial player in attack, Kovacevic’s departure is undoubtedly a huge blow for the Romanian team. The Serbian left back was both the top scorer in the Romanian league last season, with 181 goals, and Baia Mare’s top goal scorer in the EHF European League Women, putting 55 goals past the opponents.

In fact, Baia Mare lost three of their five top scorers in the European competition last season, while another one, Serbian right back Jelena Lavko, has been sidelined by an injury for the last months. The Romanian side are now eighth in their domestic lead after nine games, winning only five matches. The players that arrived were unable to replicate last season’s results, which could prove costly in a balanced competition like the EHF European League Women.

Under the spotlight: Cristina Laslo

Once coveted by a plethora of European clubs, after winning the gold medal at the IHF Junior Women’s World Championship with the Romanian national team in 2014, Cristina Laslo took a step back when signing for Buducnost in 2017. She did not spend a lot of time on the court, but at Minaur she should now be the main weapon in a team that really needs her playmaking skills.

The 25-year-old centre back is hitting her prime and has plenty of experience, becoming unstoppable at times on the court, both via playmaking and her precise shooting. But she has been lacking consistency at times, a feature that could transform her into the complete player she has the potential to be.

How they rate themselves

Minaur’s fans might tend to overreact, but both they and the club know that this season an EHF Finals berth might be tougher to secure.

“We really want to get close to last year’s results, but I know, for a fact, that it will be harder, the strength of the opponents is bigger now. We are work every day to improve and we hope that at the start of the matches we will be in the best shape,” says coach Raul Fotonea.

“Given the club’s European past, the importance of a good season in the EHF European League cannot be understated and we will be motivated to proudly represent the club, the fans and the city,” adds Fotonea.

Did you know?

Despite losing a plethora of players, Minaur still boast a multi-cultural team, with players from eight different countries and three different continents in the side. While it might have been a beacon of globalisation in European handball, Minaur pride themselves with their long-standing tradition. There has been a women’s handball team in Baia Mare since 1960.

What the numbers say

This will be the ninth season for CS Minaur Baia Mare in European competitions and the second consecutive season in the EHF European League Women. They played the Women’s EHF Challenge Cup final in 2003, losing 45:43 on aggregate against BV Borussia 09 Dortmund, while also progressing to the quarter-finals of the DELO EHF Champions League in the 2014/15 season.

Arrivals and departures

Arrivals: Elena Utkina (Kuban Krasnodar), Amra Pandzic (Kastamonu Belediyesi GSK), Andreea Tirle (SCM Râmnicu Vâlcea), Alexandra Severin (HC Zalău), Aleksandra Zych (Măgura Cisnădie), Elaine Gomes Barbosa (BM Granollers)

Left the club: Sonia Seraficeanu (Gloria Bistrița), Ionica Munteanu (retired), Jovana Kovacevic (Gloria Bistrița), Filippa Idehn (Silkeborg Voel KFUM), Linn Blohm (Györi Audi ETO KC), Mikaela Massing (Kobenhavn Handbold), Andreea Tecar (Știința București), Larissa Araujo (HC Dunărea Brăila)

Past achievements

EHF Champions League:
Quarter-finals (2): 2014/15, 2015/16
Group matches (1): 2013/14

EHF European League:
EHF Finals (1): 2020/21

EHF Cup:
Last 16 (1): 2008/09
Round 4 (1): 2009/10
Round 3 (1): 2007/08

Challenge Cup:
Runners-up (1): 2002/03
Last 16 (1): 2004/05

Romanian league: 1 title (2014)
Romanian Cup: 3 titles (2013, 2014, 2015)
Romanian Super Cup: 3 titles (2013, 2014, 2015)