Clubul Sportiv Municipal București, also known as CSM București, CSM or CSM Bucharest, is a professional women's handball team based in Bucharest, Romania, that competes in the Liga Naţională and the EHF Women's Champions League. Founded in 2007, the club has traditionally worn a blue kit since its inception. The team has played its home matches in the 5,300-capacity Polyvalent Hall in the Tineretului Park in southern Bucharest. CSM București established itself as a major force in both Romanian and European handball in the late 2010s, winning the EHF Champions League in its debut season and reaching the Final Four three consecutive times. This success was replicated in the league, where the club won four consecutive times. The official CSM mascot is a "tiger". CSM Bucharest is one of the most widely supported handball clubs in Romania.
History
Early years CSM București was formed in 2007 by the General Council of Bucharest, as part of the program to promote handball among capital's youth. The team played in the second division of Romania for two seasons without notable results. At the end of the 2008–2009 season, Rapid București experienced financial problems and eleven of their players along with coach Vasile Mărgulescu, moved to CSM. Benefiting from the experience of several new players, the club won all its Divizia A matches and promoted to the Liga Națională. Since 2010, CSM Bucharest were a constant presence of the Liga Națională, and finished third in their debut season, after Oltchim Vâlcea and Universitatea Cluj-Napoca. The team made European debut playing in the 2011–2012 season of the EHF Cup, where they reached the Round of 16 but unfortunately being eventually beaten by Romanian HC Zalău. In the following two seasons they played in the Liga Națională without significant results.
First national title (2015) Mărgulescu was fired after a poor start in 2014 and replaced with Mette Klit. The ambitious board aimed to win the Liga Națională next season, wanting to become even a threat to win the Champions League. In the spring of 2014, four Brazilian World Championship winners (Mayssa Pessoa, Ana Paula Rodrigues, Deonise Cavaleiro and Fernanda da Silva), plus 2014 European Championship's stars Carmen Martín and Linnea Torstenson, signed contracts at CSM. A strong squad was filled with local talent including Oana Manea, Iulia Curea or Talida Tolnai. The club hosted first edition of Bucharest Trophy in preseason. The hosts took the home advantage to win the final against Champions League Runners-Up ŽRK Budućnost. The Tigresses won their first eight matches of the season before losing to title rivals HCM Baia Mare. But at the second part of the season, CSM took revenge on Baia Mare with 29–23 win in Bucharest. They secured a spot in the playoffs and second place in the regular season. Eventually, they won 6 consecutive games, earning gold medal. CSM București beat HCM Baia Mare in both legs of the Championship Play Off Final. Previously they defeated HC Dunărea Brăila and Corona Braşov.
EHF Champions League triumph and domination in Romania (2016–) By winning the national title, CSM qualified automatically for the groups of the 2015–16 EHF Champions League edition. Once again, the club makes another number of top transfers including Isabelle Gulldén, Romanian legend Aurelia Brădeanu and Danish duo Line Jørgensen and Maria Fisker. Between 20 and 23 August, Bucharest hosted in preseason the second Bucharest Trophy event and grabbed a second consecutive title by defeating Corona Braşov, ŽRK Vardar and ŽRK Budućnost in the final. In September 2015, Mette Klit was replaced in CSM, her Danish fellow Kim Rasmussen taking over. Under Rasmussen, The Tigresses attained a milestone of 25 consecutive league victories. A second championship was won in April 2016. In 2016, CSM won the treble winning all the country titles, including the Cup and the Supercup (both against HCM Roman). CSM București made Champions League debut playing against ŽRK Budućnost, IK Sävehof and SPR Lublin SSA in the group stage. Four wins over the opponents from Sweden and Poland, as well the Montenegro draw, secured second place. Into the main round, CSM bothered by injury. Győri Audi ETO KC and ŽRK Vardar defeated CSM but the team reached the knockout phase where the Romanian side beat undefeated Rostov-Don twice in the quarterfinals. At the continent finals, in May 2016, București qualified for Final 4 finals for the first time after a semifinal victory over ŽRK Vardar, winning 27–21. On 8 May, CSM București won their title beating Győri Audi ETO KC in the final after a nail-biting penalty shootout. Playmaker Isabelle Gulldén scored 15 goals for CSM and finished as Europe's top scorer, whilst Aurelia Brădeanu scored the final spot-kick. Goalkeeper Jelena Grubišić was named Finals MVP. CSM regained the trophy for Romania after a 52-year break.
Kits
HOME
AWAY
THIRD
Honours Domestic competitions
Liga Națională Winners: (8) 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2020–21, 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25 Second place: 2018–19, 2021–22 Third place: 2011 Cupa României Winners: (8) 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 Finalist: 2015, 2020, 2021 Supercupa României Winners: (7) 2016, 2017, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 Finalist: 2015, 2018, 2020, 2021
European competitions EHF Champions League: Winners: 2015–16 Third place: 2016–17, 2017–18, 2025–26 Quarterfinalists: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
Other competitions Bucharest Trophy Winners – record: 2014, 2015
Team Current squad Squad for the 2026-27 season
Goalkeepers 16 Denisa Șandru 53 Iulia Dumanska 94 Catherine Gabriel
Left Wings 15 Emma Friis 21 Alexandra Szőke
Right Wings 4 Matilda Forsberg 48 Dorottya Faluvégi
Line Players 18 Pernille Brandenborg 34 Tatjana Brnović 77 Crina Pintea (c)
Left Backs 9 Tyra Axnér 59 Csenge Kuczora 88 Anne Mette Hansen
Centre Backs 5 Alexandra Voicu 11 Daria Dmitrieva 42 Jenny Carlson
Right Backs 22 Kristina Novak 61 Valeriia Maslova
Squad informationPlayerPositionDate of birthContract untilPrevious club4Matilda ForsbergRight Wing26 February 199820262028 CS Gloria Bistrița5Alexandra VoicuCentre Back1 April 2006202520279Tyra AxnérLeft Back18 March 200220262028 Metz Handball11Daria DmitrievaCentre Back9 August 199520262028 Ferencvárosi TC15Emma FriisLeft Wing31 October 199920242028 Ikast Håndbold 16Denisa ȘandruGoalkeeper27 September 199420262028 CS Rapid Handball18Pernille BrandenborgLine Player29 July 199720262028 Storhamar HE20Irina MaximLeft Back28 November 2005202421Alexandra SzőkeLeft Wing16 February 199720212027 HC Zalău22Kristina NovakRight Back29 August 200020252027 Brest Bretagne Handball34Tatjana BrnovićLine Player9 November 199820252027 RK Krim42Jenny CarlsonCentre Back17 April 199520262028 Molde Elite48Dorottya FaluvégiRight Wing31 March 199820262028 HB Ludwigsburg53Iulia DumanskaGoalkeeper15 August 199620262028 Minaur Baia Mare59Csenge KuczoraLeft Back26 January 200020262028 Thüringer HC61Valeriia MaslovaRight Back23 January 200120252027 Ferencvárosi TC77Crina PinteaLine Player3 April 199020222027 Győri ETO KC88Anne Mette HansenLeft Back25 August 199420252027 Metz Handball94Catherine GabrielGoalkeeper4 September 199420262028 ESBF Besançon
Transfers Transfers for the season 2027-28
Joining
Leaving Crina Pintea (LP) (retires) Tatjana Brnović (LP) (to ŽRK Budućnost)
Personnel Current technical staff
Board members {| class="wikitable" |- !Office !Name
| Team Manager | Aurelia Brădeanu
| Operational director | Răzvan Socolovici |- | Competition organiser | Ionuț Bugan |- | Marketing communications | Marian Visu
Selected former players
Aurelia Brădeanu Iulia Curea Oana Manea Cristina Neagu Paula Ungureanu Cristina Vărzaru Camille Ayglon-Saurina Siraba Dembélé Laura Flippes Laura Glauser Gnonsiane Niombla Grace Zaadi Malin Aune Emilie Hegh Arntzen Vilde Ingstad Marit Malm Frafjord Amanda Kurtović Nora Mørk
Eduarda Amorim Fernanda da Silva Deonise Fachinello Mayssa Pessoa Ana Paula Rodrigues Gabriela Moreschi Isabelle Gulldén Nathalie Hagman Sabina Jacobsen Linnea Torstensson Evelina Eriksson Maria Fisker Line Jørgensen Trine Østergaard Majda Mehmedović Jovanka Radičević Đurđina Jauković Elizabeth Omoregie
Dragana Cvijić Andrea Lekić Yvette Broch Tess Wester Inger Smits Merel Freriks Alexandrina Cabral Barbosa Carmen Martín Jennifer Gutiérrez Bermejo Marina Sudakova Ekaterina Vetkova Alina Grijseels Jelena Grubišić Iryna Glibko
Retired numbers No.PlayerPositionTenure 8 Cristina Neagu Left Back 2017–2025
Kit manufacturers and shirt sponsors SeasonKit manufacturerBrands 2015–2016 Kempa Electromontaj / Toyota / Diangi Bak 2 2016–2017 Electromontaj / Borsec / Diangi Bak 2 2017–2018 Engie / Borsec / Novatik 2018–2019 Engie / BMW / Borsec / Novatik 2019–2020 Engie / Fiat / Borsec / Novatik 2020–2021 Engie / Unibet / Borsec / Novatik Engie / Banca Transilvania / Unibet / Borsec / Cocomax 2021–2022 Game World Casino / Engie / Fiterman Pharma / Borsec / Cocomax / DCNEu 2022–2023 Game World Casino / Engie / Fiterman Pharma / Borsec / Cocomax / DCNEu / Fratelli 2023–2024 Game World Casino / Engie / Fiterman Pharma / Borsec / Tesla 2024– Stanleybet / Engie / Fiterman Pharma / Borsec / Wienerberger / Tesla / BRD - Groupe Société Générale / Autonom / Polyrom
In European competitions EHF competitions Season Competition Pld W D L GF GA Diff Final result 2011–12 EHF Cup 4 1 0 3 104 112 -8 Round of 16 2015–16 EHF Champions League 16 10 1 5 416 387 +29 Winners 2016–17 EHF Champions League 16 10 1 5 427 407 +20 Third place 2017–18 EHF Champions League 16 10 1 5 455 395 +60 Third place 2018–19 EHF Champions League 14 6 1 7 400 380 +20 Quarter-finals 2019–20 EHF Champions League 12 7 1 4 314 288 +26 Quarter-finals 2020–21 EHF Champions League 17 9 1 7 426 411 +15 Quarter-finals 2021–22 EHF Champions League 17 8 2 7 427 395 +32 Quarter-finals 2022–23 EHF Champions League 16 10 2 4 498 451 +47 Quarter-finals 2023–24 EHF Champions League 18 10 1 7 521 470 +51 Quarter-finals 2024–25 EHF Champions League 18 12 0 6 528 484 +44 Quarter-finals 2025–26 EHF Champions League 18 12 0 6 573 513 +60 Third place Total 182 105 11 66 5089 4693 +396 Pld – Played; W – Won; D – Drawn; L – Lost; GF – Goals for; GA – Goals against; Diff – Difference.
European record