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 50 titles won, which is the all-time record for a French women's team sport. Chaired by Thierry Weizman since 2005, the team has consistently played in the EHF Champions League and reached the Final4 five times, peaking with the EHF Champions League trophy in 2026.
The men's team also played in 1st League between 1971 and 1983, and nowadays plays in Nationale 1 (3rd division) since 2020.
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.
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.
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.
After a season without any trophy in 2021, Metz Handball won a 24th French Championship title, a 10th French Cup, and had a flawless record in the Ligue Butagaz Énergie: 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 years later they won the tournament for the first time.
Name
1967–2002: ASPTT Metz 2002–2005: Handball Metz Métropole 2005–2009: Handball Metz Moselle Lorraine 2009–: Metz Handball
Results
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 (9): 1991, 1992, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2012, 2015, 2021, 2026 French Cup: Winners (14): 1990, 1994, 1998, 1999, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026 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): Gold: 2026 Bronze: 2022 Fourth place: 2019, 2024, 2025 Quarterfinalists: 2017, 2018, 2021, 2023
European record
+ Record Season Competition Round Club Home Away Aggregate2026–27EHF Champions League Group stageGroup B Győri Audi ETO KC 1st Odense Håndbold CS Gloria Bistrița 40–26 HC Podravka Vegeta 24–35 Storhamar HE 23–32 HSG Blomberg-Lippe Nykøbing Falster 36–25
Team Current squad Squad for the 2026-27 season
Goalkeepers 1 Gabriela Moreschi 12 Maëlle Landriau 79 Sabrina Novotná
Winger players LW 6 Chloé Valentini (c) 10 Suzanne Wajoka RW 28 Lucie Granier 98 Manon Errard Line players 19 Lilou Pintat 24 Lyndie Tchaptchet
Back players LB 14 Yvana Atangana 18 Kristina Jørgensen 23 Betchaïdelle Ngombele
CB 29 Léna Grandveau 38 Petra Vámos 76 Lylou Borg
RB 11 Anna Albek 20 Laura Schneider
Information of players out on loanPlayerPositionDate of BirthLoan untilCurrent club2Claire KoestnerCentre Back10 February 20061 July 202530 June 2027 Saint-Amand
Squad informationPlayerPositionDate of BirthContract untilPrevious club1Gabriela MoreschiGoalkeeper8 July 199420262029 CSM București6Chloé ValentiniLeft Wing19 April 199520212027 ESBF Besançon10Suzanne WajokaLeft Wing2 January 200120252027 ESBF Besançon11Anna AlbekRight Back2 December 200120252027 Mosonmagyaróvári KC SE14Yvana AtanganaLeft Back 17 September 20062026202918Kristina JørgensenCentre Back17 January 199820262029 Győri ETO KC19Lilou PintatLine Player9 November 200420262028 JDA Dijon Handball20Laura SchneiderRight Back13 December 199420242027 CSM București23Betchaïdelle NgombeleLeft Back 23 March 200420252027 RK Krim24Lyndie TchaptchetLine Player13 January 200520262028 BM Bera Bera28Lucie GranierRight Wing11 June 199920232027 ESBF Besançon29Léna Grandveau Centre Back21 January 200320242027 Neptunes de Nantes38Petra VámosCentre Back14 September 200020242027 DVSC Schaeffler76Lylou BorgCentre Back31 May 200520252027 Mérignac Handball79Sabrina NovotnáGoalkeeper2 July 200020252027 Házená Kynžvart98Manon ErrardRight Wing9 February 200520242028
Transfers
Transfers for the 2027–28 season
Joining
Leaving Lucie Granier (RW) (to Brest Bretagne Handball)? Petra Vámos (CB) (to Győri Audi ETO KC)? Anna Albek (RB) (to Ferencvárosi TC)?
Technical staff Staff for the 2026–27 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 2026–27 season
Goalkeepers 12 Maëlle Landriau 41 Manuella Antunes Navarro Left Wingers 00 Marie Delchev 88 Marie-Eve Holler Right Wingers 4 Blandine Gros 78 Clémence Castets Line Players 22 Alice Giliberto 25 Eléa Ferdilus (c)
30 Valérie De Jesus Gomes Ferreira Left Backs 8 Héléa Thevenot 32 Maily Etilopy 50 Romane Guillot Centre Backs 9 Sara Mansouri 17 Gabrielle Buisson 57 Anaïs Ababsa Right Backs 15 Tylia Paillasson
Men's team
As of the 2026–27 season
Goalkeepers 90 Maël Bouvret 97 Jérémie Nomède Tisseur 00 Ilan Della Vedova Left Wingers 24 Vincent Massaro 98 Luka Giron Right Wingers 6 Tom Hurstel 11 Nathan Hurstel 44 Xavier Blond Line Players 4 Noa Catoni 00 Lucas Carton 10 Titouan Bourgeais 13 Emile Clément (c)
Left Backs 12 Lory Altis 00 Maël Zanello 00 Hakim El Maggoussi Centre Backs 26 Martin Richard 00 Léo Bottoli 57 Simon Vauchelet 77 Alexandre Belin Right Backs 7 Lucas Friang 8 Loïc Binet
Statistics
Top scorers in the EHF Champions League (All-Time) – Last updated on 20 December 2025 RankNameSeasons playedGoals1 Sarah Bouktit63792 Grâce Zaadi83003 Chloé Valentini42624 Ana Gros42315 Louise Burgaard52116 Meline Nocandy71987 Jurswailly Luciano101818 Laura Schneider61749 Kristina Jørgensen317010 Xenia Smits6167
Individual awards in the EHF Champions League SeasonPlayerAward2018–19 Manon HouetteAll–Star Team (Best Left Wing) Emmanuel MayonnadeAll–Star Team (Best Coach)2019–20 Emmanuel MayonnadeAll–Star Team (Best Coach)2023–24 Chloé ValentiniAll–Star Team (Best Left Wing) Sarah BouktitAll–Star Team (Best Line Player)2024–25 Chloé ValentiniAll–Star Team (Best Left Wing)2025–26 Sarah BouktitMost Valuable Player F4Most Valuable Player SeasonAll–Star Team (Best Line player) Johanna BundsenAll–Star Team (Best Goalkeeper) Chloé ValentiniAll–Star Team (Best Left Wing) Lucie GranierAll–Star Team (Best Right Wing) Lylou BorgYoung Player of the Season
Notable former players
Retired numbers Metz Handball No.PlayerPositionTenureSeasons 13 Isabelle Wendling Line Player 1989–2010 21
Camille Ayglon Paule Baudouin Isabelle Cendier Ajaguin Chloé Bulleux Cléopatre Darleux Béatrice Edwige Laura Schneider 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
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 Djazz Chambertin Anne-Emmanuelle Augustine Sarah Bouktit Justina Praça Stelvia Pascoal Bruna de Paula Adriana Cardoso Klaudija Bubalo Kristina Franić (Elez) Ivana Kapitanović Ćamila Mičijević Ivana Lovric
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 / Zita Galic Kristina Liščević Tatjana Medved Svetlana Ognjenović Slađana Pop-Lazić Ana Gros Tjasa Stanko Olga Peredery Carmen Nițescu Johanna Bundsen Tyra Axnér
Head coach history Claude Guillois1980–1985Olivier Krumbholz1985–1995Joël Monasso1995–1996Patrick Passemard2003Bertrand François1996–2003; 2004–2006; 2009–2010Dragan Majstrorovic2010Sébastien Gardillou2010–2012Sandor Rac2006–2009; 2012–2014Jérémy Roussel2014–2015Emmanuel Mayonnade2015–
Stadium
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
References
External links