Cristina Neagu announced on Thursday evening that the 2024-2025 season will be the last on the handball court. In December 2023, the athlete retired from the national team
Cristina Neagu announced her retirement from handball Photo: Cristina Neagu/Facebook
Cristina Neagu, 36 years old, had signed the contract with CSM Bucharest for this last season in November 2023.
“Our captain announced this evening (September 12 n. ed.) that the 2024-2025 season will be his last on the handball court. We are happy to be part of this fantastic journey of the only handball player named 4 times the best in the world and who in the next matches has a chance to become the all-time top scorer of the competition! Let’s live the history! Come see her play and cheer on Cristina Neagu in her final EHF Champions League battles!“, reported CSM Bucharest, on the club’s Facebook page.
Born in the capital, Cristina started handball at the age of 12, at the School Sports Club No. 5 from Bucharest. Throughout his career, Neagu played for top clubs such as Oltchim Râmnicu Vâlcea, ŽRK Budućnost and CSM Bucharest. She is the only one in history who has won the title of the best handball player in the world four times.
“I have decided that at the end of this season I will retire from handball, I have decided this for some time, it was not overnight, I kept thinking about the right time, but this is never the case. I have decided that this will be my last season on the handball court. I don’t know if there is only one reason, I think this moment comes in the career of any athlete, but I don’t want it to be sad news, but let’s all be happy”, declared Neagu, on PRO TV, who also added: “I’ve had a 25-year career and 20 at the highest level, I’ve experienced many beautiful moments. Of course people remember the trophies, I was happy with the Champions League trophy and the 2 medals won with the national team. It’s a unique feeling. I spent four years outside the field, I think that’s when I learned the most important lessons“.
In February, 2024, Cristina Neagu surpassed the milestone of 1,100 goals scored in the Champions League in women’s handball, being surpassed in this all-time ranking only by the Montenegrin player Jovanka Radicevic, who had 1,141 goals.
