Teams react to EHF Finals Women draw

Once players, coaches and representatives of the clubs had taken a moment to let the draw news sink in, they gave their thoughts on what will surely be two tremendous semi-finals on 11 May 2024 at Raiffeisen Sportpark Graz.

Naturally, the two participants from Romania know each other very well, but that only adds to the anticipation for Dunarea Braila's Mireya Gonzalez. "It's exciting to face Gloria Bistrita in the semi-final. As fellow Romanian competitors, we share a deep understanding of each other's strengths and weaknesses. This familiarity adds an extra layer of intensity to the match," says the Spaniard.

Nonetheless, the right back knows her team has a job to do and believes in her side's ability to get past Gloria. "We're confident in our abilities and determined to seize this opportunity. Our fans can expect a fiercely contested game, we are ready to leave everything on the court for securing our spot in the final. We're not just here to make up the numbers; we're here to make our mark."

Gonzalez's head coach, Jan Leslie, has great respect for the task that lies ahead for his side:

His opposite number, Gloria Bistrita head coach Florentin Pera, knows this has already been a successful season for his side, but it has the potential to be even better.

"Gloria Bistrita is facing a historic season. We are the only unbeaten team in the competition and we need two more steps in Graz. Dunărea Brăila is a traditional opponent in the domestic championship, we know each other very well. There will be big ambitions, but we want to go all the way. Bistrita has shown a lot of fighting power, determination and courage this season. On 11 and 12 May, together with our supporters, we will go to Graz to fight for the trophy, there is no other option."

Reacting to the other semi-final, Romuald Notari, technical manager of the Neptunes Nantes, remarked on the quality of this season's EHF Finals: "The four teams are very homogeneous and of a very good level. It promises to be a great finals."

Therefore, Notari had only positives to say about the French side's first opponents in Graz:

Main photo © Uros Hocevar / kolektiff