Győr Defends Its Title in Women’s Handball Champions League for Seventh Time

Győri Audi ETO KC defended its title and won the Women’s EHF Handball Champions League for the seventh time, defeating Denmark’s Odense 29-27 in Sunday’s final of the Final Four in Budapest.

Győr, who never trailed throughout the match, played in their 11th final in Europe’s most prestigious cup competition and won for the seventh time. They had previously been finalists four times in the EHF Cup and once in the KEK, but lost those matches. The team reached the top four for the 17th time, with the final being held for the 11th time in the Hungarian capital.

Their opponents, Danish side Odense, who knocked Hungarian Ferencváros out in the quarter-finals, were in their first final four, with Katrine Lundé, the only seven-time winner in the history of the Champions League, who has already won Europe’s most prestigious cup competition with Viborg, Győr, and Vipers Kristiansand.

According to Viktória Győri-Lukács, ETO’s right wing, the home team controlled the entire match, thanks to which they managed to defeat the Danish team Odense, 29-27 as defending champions.

This was a decisive match between two teams that deserved to be in the final. Both teams have played very well so far,”

the athlete, who contributed two goals to the victory, told MTI.

ETO was already leading 5-1 in the fifth minute, and Győri-Lukács said that they tried to set a good pace throughout the match, and their momentum and enthusiasm carried them at the beginning, while they were also fresher than their opponents and were able to control the match throughout.

She added that when the Danes switched to a numerical advantage attack in the first half and brought in 45-year-old seven-time Champions League winner Katrina Lunde in goal, “we had to change a little, but it was really only a matter of a few minutes, and in the end it worked out well for us.”

The Hungarian team was never behind during the weekend. The European Championship bronze medalist said that they are incredibly united, as evidenced by Sunday’s match. “If one of our teammates was having a bad day, the others were there to pull her out of the hole; we did not let each other down.

It was clear this weekend that we are very united and help each other,”

she said.

ETO’s left wing Csenge Fodor said it was the combination of a cool head and a warm heart that helped them defend their title in the Champions League. “We played with a cool head but a very warm heart, a very good combination that paid off,” the athlete, who scored two goals in Sunday’s final, told MTI.

“The girls were very united in defense and attack, we dictated the pace, and we knew that Odense was more tired and did not have as deep a bench. We were aware of the quality of their players, they work very well together, and of course Katrine Lunde was there on the other side, but all of their goalkeepers are very good,” explained Fodor.

She emphasized that

they knew what to expect and were well prepared, having had several tactical discussions. They knew what they wanted to achieve in attack and defense, and they did just that.

Per Johansson, Győr’s head coach, pointed out at the press conference that most of his players are becoming more experienced in the Final Four every year, which makes them calmer, at least in his experience. “We had a difficult season with many injuries, but now our squad is complete and we have managed to return to the top. We are surrounded by a healthy, supportive environment, with everyone trying to support our efforts.

I feel privileged to be able to work with such a fantastic team of people who are not only good players but also humble. Maybe that is the secret,”

he said.

Via MTI, Featured image: MTI/Purger Tamás