Hungarian powerhouse Györi Audi ETO KC secured their sixth title in the EHF Champions League Women, after clinching two wins in the EHF FINAL4, which took place in Budapest on 1 and 2 June.

Györ, the most decorated team in the history of the competition, won their first trophy since 2019, with some excellent performances against Team Esbjerg in the semi-finals and SG BBM Bietigheim in the big final, as Stine Bredal Oftedal was named the MVP of the EHF FINAL4 in the last club match of her career.

Four teams lined up at the start of the competition, the best four teams remaining after a lengthy season, which saw 130 matches played. In front of a packed MVM Dome in Budapest, which saw 18.500 spectators present at the final, Györi Audi ETO KC delivered two excellent performances to clinch their sixth title.

First, it was a 24:23 win in the semi-final against Team Esbjerg, where the Hungarian side dominated in the second half, only to see their lead cut at the end of the match, with the 2022 IHF World Female Player of the Year, goalkeeper Sandra Toft, stopping a last-second shot from Esbjerg’s left wing Sanna Solberg-Isaksen, to cement the win.

In the second semi-final, favourites Metz Handball lost their footing against SG BBM Bietigheim, in a match with seven lead changes, as the dark horses clinched a fantastic 36:29 win, to become the first German side ever to secure a place in the final of the EHF Champions League Women.

Bietigheim, at their first appearance at the EHF FINAL4, surprised the French side with their excellent defence and pacy fast breaks, and became the first team to ever reach the final of the European premium competition after previously conceding eight losses on the way to the last act.

But in the final, Bietigheim were no match for Györi Audi ETO KC, which took an early lead, one that they never relinquished until the end, as their depth was far superior, while their efficiency was clearly better.

As Kari Brattset Dale, the MVP of the 2021 IHF Women’s World Championship, and right back Ana Gros each scored six goals, Györ built an impressive seven-goal lead in the second half, on the back of a fantastic performance from Norwegian goalkeeper Silje Solberg-Osthassel, which had 16 saves for a 42.1 per cent saving efficiency.

In the end, Györ, which featured in the EHF FINAL4 for the ninth time in 10 editions, matched the largest ever win in the last act of the competition, six goals, to secure a 30:24 and their sixth title in the European premium competition, more than any other side, with the closest being Hypo Niederösterreich with four titles and Viborg HK, Slagelse DT and Vipers Kristiansand, with three titles each.

Playing her last match of her club career, before heading to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games with Norway, centre back Stine Bredal Oftedal was named the MVP of the EHF FINAL4, after scoring three goals in the match against Esbjerg and delivering six assists in the match against Bietigheim.

“I think I have managed to keep the emotions under wraps in the first match, which was quite difficult, against Esbjerg. As well in the second one against Bietigheim, however, in the last two minutes, when it was clear that we were going to win, tears burst out of my eyes,” said Oftedal.

The bronze medal match was won by Team Esbjerg, 37:34, against Metz Handball, as the Danish side had their best ever finish in the competition, also winning their maiden match in the EHF FINAL4.

The top goal scorer of the season was Russian right back Anna Vyakhireva, who had 113 goals, three more than Esbjerg's right back Nora Mork and six more than the 2023 IHF Female World Player of the Year, Henny Reistad and Metz's line player, Sarah Bouktit. 

Photo credit: EHF / Kolektiff Images / Anze Malovrh