An ode to legends

Five iconic players played their final matches at the highest level: Andrea Lekić, Jovanka Radičević, Cristina Neagu, Allison Pineau and Cléopatre Darleux. For almost two decades, they were not just part of the EHF Champions League Women — they helped shape it and now step off the court as legends. 

They were all different — in style, position, personality — but at the end of the day they shared one thing: Love for handball. And they didn't just face each other as fierce rivals on the biggest handball stages — they shared locker rooms, victories and friendships. They won titles, but more importantly, they inspired. 

Cristina Neagu: The Romanian sharpshooter

The Romanian star player raised the bar and became an icon. The all-time top scorer of the EHF Champions League Women and Women’s EHF EURO played her last match in the top tier in April 2025, as CSM Bucuresti were eliminated by Team Esbjerg in the quarter-finals. 

Her 1,232 Champions League goals say enough about her illustrious career, but her impact is underlined when you add some of the other accolades — the Champions League title in 2015, three-time Champions League top scorer and four-time IHF World Player of the Year. She carried both CSM and Romania through years of high expectations and pressure. When her teams needed a goal, everyone in the arena knew where the ball was going.

“It's hard not to mention Cristina,” said Henny Reistad of Team Esbjerg. “How she's taken responsibility for club and country, year after year — it really impressed me. That set a new standard for what it means to be a leader.”

Jovanka Radičević: The passionate fighter

Right behind Neagu on the all-time scorer list is a passionate Lioness — Radičević. The explosive wing set the standard in her 21 Champions League seasons, scoring 1,181 goals. She bid farewell in March 2025, when Krim's path ended in the play-offs against Ludwigsburg.

The Montenegrin icon won the Champions League with Györ in 2013 and made it to the final tournament on five more occasions, while also being named in the All-star team four times — in 2013/14, 2015/16, 2018/19 and 2019/20. Radičević also carried Montenegro to Olympic silver, EHF EURO gold in 2012 and EHF EURO bronze in 2022.

“They are legends and they have left their mark. They can be proud of their career and I'm really looking up to the players like this, that continue so long on the high level; who want to do anything to stay on that same level and do good for their clubs,” said Kristina Jørgensen from Györ.

Andrea Lekić: The offensive mastermind

Serbian international Lekić was the mind behind so many of handball's sharpest attacks. Her sense of timing; her passing, especially to the line player; and her control put her among the best. This season, Lekić was fighting for another FINAL4 appearance, but FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria were eliminated by Odense in the quarter-finals.

She retired as one of the four to pass 1,000 goals in the Champions League, finishing on 1,073. In 2013, not only did she win the Champions League with Györ, but also led Serbia to the silver medal at the World Championship and was named IHF World Player of the Year. The centre back was Champions League runner-up four times.

“She has a really, really, really good handball head and for me as a playmaker, it's really impressive to see this and how she evolved the game all the time. And she always tried to keep herself in good shape and do the best for her,” added Jørgensen about Lekić.

Allison Pineau: The French star who went her own way

Pineau left her own mark on handball. She won all three major titles with France — the Olympic Games, European Championship and World Championship — and was named was named the IHF World Player of the Year for 2009.

But Pineau never won the Champions League. She had her last chance at the EHF FINAL4 Women 2025, but Metz were knocked out in the semi-final. Pineau’s influence went beyond silverware, however — whether it was scoring goals, orchestrating attack or defending, she made it looked like poetry.

“All of them retiring is really like an end of an era,” said Pineau’s Metz Handball teammate Anne Mette Hansen. “I'm happy to be a part of this time where they've been playing, and we will miss them. Every one of them had something special and brought some very crazy stuff to the handball world. We were blessed to see them play for so many years.”

Cléopatre Darleux: The goalkeeper with a knack for timing

Pineau's former roommate Darleux also chose Metz for her final season — also chasing the one missing trophy. The French goalkeeper was a synonym for elegance between the posts, always delivering crucial on-time saves. Darleux was a multi-time medallist with France, All-star goalkeeper of the EHF EURO 2022 and a previously key figure for Brest Bretagne, with whom she reached the Champions League final in 2021. She wrapped up her career with 119 saves this season.

"Congratulations to Cléo for your wonderful career; what all you have done for handball. As a handball fan, I am very grateful that I got an opportunity to see you play,” said Esbjerg coach Tomas Axnér.

And while these five legends said their goodbyes on the court, there is one more we quietly tip our hats to — Isabelle Gulldén.

The Swedish centre back with a golden arm decided to stop playing in August 2024 and stepped away from handball for personal reasons. After winning her second EHF Champions League title with Vipers Kristiansand in 2022, Gulldén returned home to Sweden and joined Lugi HF. Though her last season did not include any European appearances, her departure marked the end of a career that had a huge impact on the game.

So here we are, at the end of something special. Not just a season. Not just careers. But a whole chapter in the story of handball. One article could not list all of their accomplishments and the impact they had.

They made little girls believe they could fly through the air like Radičević, thread passes no one else could see like Lekić, lead like Gulldén, score like Neagu, stun like Pineau, and save the impossible like Darleux.

They gave us moments we will talk about years from now.

Thank you, legends. Happy retirement.