Metz Handball

Metz Handball is a French handball club from Metz, France. Founded in 1965 under the name ASPTT Metz, the club has an exceptional track record with some 40 titles won, which is the all-time record for a French women's team sport. Chaired by Thierry Weizman since 2005, the club is becoming increasingly professional and now aims to play a leading role in Europe.

Metz Handball
Full name	Metz Handball
Short name	Metz HB
Founded	1965
Arena	Les Arènes
Capacity	4,500 / 5,000
President	Thierry Weizman
Head coach	Emmanuel Mayonnade
League	Ligue Butagaz Énergie
2024–25	Champion
Club colours
Home Away
Website Official site

The men's team also played in 1st League between 1971 and 1983, and nowadays plays in Nationale 1 (3rd division) since 2020.

Metz

Location of 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.^[1]

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.^[2]

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.^[3]

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.^[4]

Name

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

Results

Metz wins Coupe de France 2017, against Issy Paris Hand

National competitions

• French Championship:
  • 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
  • Runners-up (8): 1991, 1992, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2012, 2015, 2021
• French Cup:
  • Winners (13): 1990, 1994, 1998, 1999, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
  • Runners-up (7): 1987, 1992, 1993, 2001, 2005, 2009, 2018
• French League Cup:
  • Winners (8): 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014
  • Runners-up (1): 2004

International competitions

• EHF Cup (C3):
  • Silver: 2013
• EHF Cup Winners' Cup (C2):
  • Semi-finalist: 1999, 2004, 2010, 2011
• EHF Champions League (C1):
  • Bronze: 2022
  • Fourth place: 2019, 2024, 2025
  • Quarterfinalists: 2017, 2018, 2021, 2023

European record

Record^[5]

Season	Competition	Round	Club	Home	Away	Aggregate
2025–26	EHF Champions League	Group stage Group A	Storhamar HE
			Győri Audi ETO KC
			Borussia Dortmund
			Team Esbjerg
			CS Gloria Bistrița
			OTP Group Budućnost
			DVSC Schaeffler

Team

Current squad

Squad for the 2025-26 season

Goalkeepers 79 Sabrina Novotná 94 Catherine Gabriel Wingers players LW 02 Laura Godard 06 Chloé Valentini (c) (pregnant) 10 Suzanne Wajoka [fr] RW 28 Lucie Granier 98 Manon Errard [fr] Line players 15 Anne-Emmanuelle Augustine 27 Sarah Bouktit (c)

Back players LB 09 Tyra Axnér 23 Betchaïdelle Ngombele CB 29 Léna Grandveau 38 Petra Vámos 76 Lylou Borg RB 11 Anna Albek 20 Laura Flippes (pregnant)

Information of players out on loan
No.	Nat.	Player	Position	Date of Birth	Since	Loan until	Current club
2		Claire Koestner	Centre Back	10 February 2006	1 July 2025	30 June 2027	Saint-Amand
11		Mia Brkic	Line Player	11 May 2003	1 July 2024	30 June 2026	Podravka Koprivnica
97		Délia Golvet	Centre Back	20 October 2005	27 November 2024	30 June 2026	Paris 92

Squad information
No.	Nat.	Player	Position	Date of Birth	In	Contract until	Previous club
2		Laura Godard	Left Wing	12 February 1996	2025	2026	TuS Metzingen
6		Chloé Valentini	Left Wing	19 April 1995	2021	2027	ESBF Besançon
9		Tyra Axnér	Left Back	18 March 2002	2024	2027	Nykøbing Falster Håndboldklub
10		Suzanne Wajoka	Left Wing	2 January 2001	2025	2026	ESBF Besançon
11		Anna Albek	Right Back	2 December 2001	2025	2027	Mosonmagyaróvári KC SE
15		Anne-Emmanuelle Augustine	Line Player	10 July 2001	2024	2026	OGC Nice Handball
20		Laura Flippes	Right Back	13 December 1994	2024	2027	CSM București
23		Betchaïdelle Ngombele	Left Back	23 March 2004	2025	2027	RK Krim
27		Sarah Bouktit	Line Player	27 August 2002	2021	2027	Fleury Loiret HB
28		Lucie Granier	Right Wing	11 June 1999	2023	2027	ESBF Besançon
29		Léna Grandveau	Centre Back	21 January 2003	2024	2027	Neptunes de Nantes
38		Petra Vámos	Centre Back	14 September 2000	2024	2027	Debreceni VSC
76		Lylou Borg	Centre Back	31 May 2005	2025	2027	Mérignac Handball
79		Sabrina Novotná	Goalkeeper	2 July 2000	2025	2027	Házená Kynžvart
94		Catherine Gabriel	Goalkeeper	4 September 1994	2025	2027	DVSC Schaeffler
98		Manon Errard	Right Wing	9 February 2005	2024	2028

Transfers

Transfers for the 2025–26 season

Joining Sabrina Novotná (GK) (from Házená Kynžvart) Catherine Gabriel (GK) (from DVSC Schaeffler) Lylou Borg (CB) (from Mérignac Handball) Anna Albek (RB) (from Mosonmagyaróvári KC SE) Betchaïdelle Ngombele (LB) (from RK Krim) Suzanne Wajoka (LW) (from ESBF Besançon) Laura Godard (LW) (from TuS Metzingen)

Leaving Camille Depuiset (GK) (to Brest Bretagne Handball) Zsófi Szemerey (GK) (to Győri Audi ETO KC) Cléopatre Darleux (GK) (retires) Mélanie Halter (GK) (to Mosonmagyaróvári KC SE) Allison Pineau (CB) (retires) Anne Mette Hansen (LB) (to CSM București) Djazz Chambertin (LB) (to CS Rapid București) Emma Jacques (RB) (to Esztergomi KC) Zaliata Mlamali (LW) (to ESBF Besançon) Nadine Szöllősi-Schatzl (LW) (back from loan to Moyra-Budaörs Handball)

Technical staff

Staff for the 2025–26 season

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

Academy

Training Center

As of the 2024–25 season^[6]

Goalkeepers 12 Elihanna Rodrigo Da Costa 66 Fatima Camara (c) Left Wingers 05 Nélya Goval 29 Clara Bonne Right Wingers 19 Délia Golvet (to Paris 92 until June 2025) 78 Clémence Castets Line Players 22 Alice Giliberto 25 Eléa Ferdilus 88 Marie-Eve Holler

Left Backs 14 Yvana Antangana 32 Maily Etilopy Centre Backs 17 Claire Koestner 57 Anaïs Ababsa Right Backs 03 Ludyvine Kaakil-Talaba 18 Fiona Gooroosamy

Men's team

As of the 2024–25 season^[7]

Goalkeepers 25 Clément Tamagna 27 Thibaut Jean 97 Nicolas Balmy Left Wingers 09 Geoffrey Bettendeld 24 Vincent Massaro 28 Romain Rennié Right Wingers 08 Florian Beck 19 Nathan Andrezo 44 Xavier Blond Line Players 13 Emile Clément 33 Simon Voltz Marty 94 Thibaut Van Deik

Left Backs 12 Lory Altis 45 Antonin Bertrand Centre Backs 14 Guillaume Bettenfeld (c) 57 Simon Vauchelet 77 Alexandre Belin Right Backs 10 Steven Bello 18 Luka Miojevic

Statistics

Top scorers in the EHF Champions League (All-Time) – Last updated on 1 June 2025[8] Rank Name Seasons played Goals 1 Sarah Bouktit 5 327 2 Grâce Zaadi 8 300 3 Chloé Valentini 4 262 4 Ana Gros 4 231 5 Louise Burgaard 5 211 6 Meline Nocandy 7 198 7 Jurswailly Luciano 10 181 8 Laura Flippes 6 174 9 Kristina Jørgensen 2 170 10 Xenia Smits 5 162

Individual awards in the EHF Champions League Season Player Award 2018–19[9] Manon Houette All–Star Team (Best Left Wing) Emmanuel Mayonnade All–Star Team (Best Coach) 2019–20[10] Emmanuel Mayonnade All–Star Team (Best Coach) 2023–24[11] Chloé Valentini All–Star Team (Best Left Wing) Sarah Bouktit All–Star Team (Best Line Player) 2024–25[12] Chloé Valentini All–Star Team (Best Left Wing)

Notable former players

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

Head coach history

	Claude Guillois	1980–1985
	Olivier Krumbholz	1985–1995
	Joël Monasso	1995–1996
	Patrick Passemard	2003
	Bertrand François	1996–2003; 2004–2006; 2009–2010
	Dragan Majstrorovic	2010
	Sébastien Gardillou	2010–2012
	Sandor Rac	2006–2009; 2012–2014
	Jérémy Roussel[13]	2014–2015
	Emmanuel Mayonnade	2015–

Stadium

Metz Arena in 2010

• 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

• Kempa