A comeback at the highest level

Their biggest international triumph dates back more than 50 years and for the past eight years they have not been on the international stage but now Dinamo Bucuresti fight for European handball honours again.

With a long tradition in handball, Dinamo were winners of the 1965 Champions Cup (forerunner of the VELUX EHF Champions League) but their last participation in an EHF European Cup competition was during the 2007/08 season when they were eliminated in the third round of the EHF Cup.

Now they are back.

This season Dinamo needed to qualify all the way to be among the final 16 teams who make up the group phase. Like Swedish side Ystad, Dinamo started in the first qualification round and have been successful throughout all stages, including eliminating Slovenian side Maribor in the crucial third qualification round.

Alongside CSM Bucuresti, who already qualified for the group phase, it is the first time-ever that two teams from one city are part of this competition stage. The team of experienced coach Eliodor Voica (former Romanian national team coach and EHF Cup Group Phase participant with Bacau) is aiming to make it to the quarter-finals, though the ten-time Romanian champions were drawn in the tough group, A, where they face Magdeburg, Granollers and Aalborg.

Three questions to coach Eliodor Voica:

What are your expectations for the Group Stage of the EHF Cup?
Eliodor Voica: We want to grab our chances and to play at our maximum level, even though we are new faces in the group stage of the EHF Cup.

What does the participation in the Group Stage of the EHF Cup mean to you and your club?
Eliodor Voica: For me, personally, I am happy to be present in Group Stage of the EHF Cup with my second team, after Stiinta Municipal Bacau three years ago.

For the club it is reward for successful teamwork and a comeback in the international handball arena at a high level.

What teams are your personal favourites to reach the EHF Cup Finals?
Eliodor Voica: Saint Raphael from France.

Dinamo Bucuresti (ROU)

Newcomers: Muhamed Zulfic (Bosna Sarajevo), Alireza Mousavi (MVM Veszprem), Ciprian Vancea (Steaua Bucharest), Flavius Campan (Potaissa Turda), Mirko Milasevic (Billere), Stefan Grogoras (Stiinta Bacau)

Left the club: Mirko Milasevic - no information

Coach: Eliodor Voica (since July 2015, former coach: Stefan Constantin)

Team captain: Liviu Mironescu

Qualification for the EHF Cup Group Phase: Round 1 against Energia Targu Jiu 38:24, 24:24. Round 2 against Diomidis Argous 26:21, 35:20. Round 3 against Maribor Branik 26:27, 31:25

Past achievements

VELUX EHF Champions League records:
Last 32: 1997/98

EHF Cup:
Semi-final: 2003/04
Last 16: 2004/05

EHF Cup Winners' Cup:
Last 16: 2006/07

Romanian league: 10 titles
Romanian Cup: 6 titles