After a (too) long group phase, the Champions League of handball finally enters its decisive phase with direct elimination matches. Two French clubs are still in the running: Nantes and PSG.
Before hoping to reach the Final Four in Cologne where it has not been since 2023 and even before thinking about the quarterfinals, PSG must overcome a dangerous trap.
Fourth in its group stage (6W, 7L) after a difficult autumn, PSG cannot avoid an additional obstacle. The European federation calls it a “playoff.” It is actually an eighth-final against the 5th team from the other group. It could have been Nantes, but it is finally Veszprem, and it’s not a gift. The only good news is that PSG has the advantage of playing at home and a return match.
Veszprem shares a curse with PSG. Like the Parisian club, this other giant of European handball has not won the Champions League in 15 years.
To finally achieve glory, Veszprem relies on three French players in its squad: former PSG player Nedim Remili, former Cristolien Hugo Descat, and former Montpellier player Yanis Lenne. They also have Spanish goalkeeper Rodrigo Corrales, who played for PSG from 2016 to 2020 and will return next season. The team is coached by another Spanish reference: Xavier Pascual, the former mentor of FC Barcelona.
Veszprem is the team PSG has faced most often in the Champions League: already 18 confrontations with a balance leaning towards the Hungarian team: 9 victories, 1 draw, and 8 defeats. The last defeat was in February 2025 in the capital (33-37).
Before the return match on April 9 at Coubertin, PSG’s mission in Hungary does not seem easy. The arena hosting them is one of the most fervent in the world. The 5000 seats of the Veszprem Arena sold out in seconds. The Parisians will have to resist this popular pressure. The last time they faced them in September 2024 was challenging with a humiliating 41-28 defeat.
Such a defeat would condemn PSG to watch the rest of the Champions League from afar even before the return match.
At this point, PSG cannot afford a second setback in a row before the quarterfinal. In Hungary, Stefan Madsen’s team must win or at least limit the damage before the return match.
If things go well, it will be time to think about another big challenge: a duel against Berlin in the quarterfinals. But that’s another story.
The Veszprem – PSG playoff match airs live on Eurosport on April 1st starting at 6:45 pm. At 8:45 pm, Nantes will play against the Danish team GOG.
