Champions League: Brest bows in the final against Kristiansand

The last step was (a little) too high for the Brestoises, beaten in the Champions League final by the Norwegians from Kristiansand (34-28). Heroic the day before, in the semifinals of this Final 4, against Györ – the emblematic Hungarian club which reigned supreme, until Saturday, on European women’s handball – the Bretons ran out of breath against a formation that counts in its ranks seven players recently crowned European champions with Norway. Led 3-0 at the start of the match, they managed to come back to the height of their opponents in the middle of the first period (10-10) before being left behind and kept at a distance of 4 or 5 goals.

Even if they did not go to the end of their somewhat crazy dream, the Brestoises, crowned champions of France a week ago after winning the Coupe de France, have written a beautiful page in the history of French handball, however already very rich. Born on the ashes of the Arvor 29, demoted to D 2 in 2012 by the federation for financial reasons (the club then showed a deficit of € 800,000) then in N 1 after filing for bankruptcy, Brest Bretagne Handball n ‘ ends up surprising.

With in its ranks several players from the French team Pauline Coatanea, Kalidiatou Niakaté, Coralie Lassource, Pauletta Foppa and Cléopâtre Darleux, the guardian now mother of a little Olympus – the team had achieved a great feat in the quarterfinals of this European Cup, by eliminating Metz, the other stronghold of women’s handball in France. On its momentum and to fill its stands next year, the BBH will be offering tickets from 4 and 5 euros in September. History, perhaps, to compete with the Brest stadium 29, which saved its place in Ligue 1 and with which Brest Bretagne Handball shares its presidents, the brothers, Gérard and Denis Le Saint. A year after taking over the handball club, the tandem, entrepreneur in the distribution of fresh products, had promised to win the Champions League. In view of what the players showed this weekend, the dream is indeed allowed. The French internationals present in the ranks of Brest have taken a good dose of confidence before starting the Olympic preparation with the France team.