SUMMARY: Györ, Esbjerg, Metz, Odense ready for EHF FINAL4 showdown

• coverage of the day before the EHF FINAL4 Women 2025 in Budapest
• players and coaches of Odense, Esbjerg, Györ, and Metz spoke with journalists at the media calls
• the first edition of EHF's live show with "The Spin" podcast hosts Víctor Tomás, Martin Vilstrup, and Bengt Kunkel previewing the EHF FINAL4 with a bunch of players and coaches is available on YouTube and Facebook
• all four teams will show up at the MVM Dome for a meet & greet with fans in the evening
• follow the EHF FINAL4 on the official EHF Champions League socials on Facebook, Instagram and X, and the Home of Handball TikTok and YouTube channels
• Eric Willemsen reporting from Budapest; all images © kolektiff

Friday 30 May

16:00

You literally feel the excitement building in Budapest, as the players and coaches get ready for what will be a spectacular season-ending event once again at MVM Dome. Györ, Esbjerg, Metz and Odense completed their media marathons this afternoon and will show up at the arena for a meet & greet with the fans in the evening, offering the many supporters of the four teams the opportunity to get up close and personal with their favourite heroes.

The live blog coverage of the final pre-match day at the EHF FINAL4 2025 ends here. We are back for all the action on semi-final from noon tomorrow. For now, we leave you with an interview with the standout scorer of the season with 139 goals, Henny Reistad. The Team Esbjerg star is already the all-time top scorer of the EHF FINAL4 with 78, so how many can she add over the next two days?

Have a nice evening and see again tomorrow when we start the live blog at 12:00 CEST.

Viszontlátásra! Goodbye from Budapest!

15:33

Some of the biggest names of the game have just completed the last EHF Champions League season of their careers, as the likes of Cristina Neagu, Jovanka Radicevic, and Andrea Lekic are all calling it quits. Also, some players whose teams do have qualified for the EHF FINAL4 get their last chance to shine in the spotlights of Europe's topflight this weekend.

Two of them are teammate at Metz Handball — goalkeeper Cléopatre Darleux and left back Allison Pineau. Our EHF journalist here on site in Budapest, Danijela Vekić, caught up with the illustrious French duo for this feature story:

14:28

The afternoon before the EHF FINAL4 is always the moment for the coaches and players of the four teams to meet with the media. Lots of Hungarian, Danish, French, and — well — Danish journalists are on site in Budapest to report on the latest news and views before the on-court action at MVM Dome starts in about 24 hours.

You can find interesting comments from all teams in our flash quotes piece here on eurohandball.com. For instance, read what Metz standout Sarah Bouktit has said:

14:04

Györ are the defending champions and arrive at their 10th EHF FINAL4 arguably as the favourites again. Bruna de Paula has been one of the standout performers for the Hungarian powerhouse, after coming over from one of the other contenders this weekend, Metz Handball.

De Paula has shared her expectations of the EHF FINAL4 with EHF journalist Adrian Costeiu for this interview:

13:27

Heading into her fifth EHF FINAL4 is Kari Brattset Dale. The experienced line player sees it as her increasing task to take her Györ teammates under her wings and guide them through this exciting EHF FINAL4 weekend, as she has just explained in the live show currently running on Home of Handball's YouTube and Facebook pages:

13:04

Another goalkeeper in the spotlights this weekend is Team Esbjerg's Anna Kristensen. The MVP of the Women's EHF EURO 2024 hopes to help her team reach the final for the first time. The Danish side appear in Budapest for the fourth straight season, so Kristensen is ready to take the next step, as she has told EHF journalist Courtney Gahan for this feature story:

12:46

So, how is it to be at the EHF FINAL4 four the very first time? Very nervous or full of confidence? The answer comes from Odense line player Maren Aardahl during her team's media call:

12:18

Odense are first out to talk with the media here in Budapest. The Danish side have reached their first EHF FINAL4 after they had been in the quarter-finals three times before. Finally here, Odense are eager to make the most of their debut. And, of course, many eyes are on Katrine Lunde, who could set several records if she could win the title with Odense. She could win a record-extending eighth title in the women's topflight, and would then become the first player across genders to lift the EHF Champions League trophy with four different clubs.

EHF journalist Danijela Vekić caught up with Lunde for this interview:

11:56

Practice makes perfect! The teams are in the final preparations ahead of tomorrow's semi-finals. Metz, who have already arrived in Budapest on Wednesday, and Györ have meanwhile completed official team trainings. Györ throw off the EHF FINAL4 against Esbjerg on Saturday at 15:00 CEST, before Metz take on Odense in the second semi-final at 18:00 CEST.

Here are some impressions from Metz and Györ on the practice courts:

11:34

Today is all about looking forward to what will await us over the next two days at MVM Dome. We have a stunning line-up with the defending champions (Györ), two teams that both play the EHF FINAL4 for the fourth time but strive for their first final (Esbjerg and Metz), and one first-time participant (Odense). So, there is a lot to talk about even before the throw-off of the first semi-final on Saturday at 15:00 CEST...

... and that is exactly what Víctor Tomás, Martin Vilstrup, and Bengt Kunkel — the hosts of EHF's own "The Spin" podcast — are going to do when they are joined by legendary goalkeeper Barbara Arenhart for the first of five live shows this weekend.

Make sure to tune in to the first edition starting at 12:00 CEST, covering the media calls with key players and the head coach of each of the four teams competing this weekend!

11:19

The wait is over: the EHF FINAL4 is here! The four teams have safely arrived in Budapest and checked in for what will be a memorable weekend of handball. Here are some impressions from the arrival at the hotel in the Hungarian capital:

11:00

"Jó reggelt!"

Good morning from Budapest, and welcome to the EHF FINAL4 Women 2025! We are one the eve of the marquee event of the EHF Champions League Women 2024/25 season. In the live blog, we are guiding you through everything that is happening from the build-up on Friday until the crowning of the champions on Sunday.

To get the most out of your EHF FINAL4 experience, check out how to follow the event: