Neagu: the Romanian queen

It was 2007 and a gritty 19-year-old rookie was playing her first games in a major international tournament. Cristina Neagu was already a well-known name in Romania, yet nobody outside her own nation knew what to expect from the young player.

Neagu scored 10 goals for Romania in her first game at the World Championship and was a key part of the team that went on to finish fourth after a disappointing loss against Germany in the bronze-medal game.

11 years on, Neagu has become a household name known to any handball fan and has built up a reputation as one of the best players to ever shoot a ball. The CSM Bucuresti left back has scored 728 goals in 181 games for Romania and has been the team captain since 2016.

“I remember that when I played my first tournament, I was the youngest player in the team. I was joking about the age with the older players, saying that there will be a time when I will mentor players. Well, that time has come, and I always try to share my experience with younger teammates,” says Neagu.

A leader on the court

There are few players that can shoot with Neagu’s speed and accuracy. The Romanian star won two Women’s EHF Champions League top scorer awards and also led Romania to the bronze medals at the Women’s EHF EURO 2010 and World Championship 2015, finishing as top scorer at both events. She is also the only female to be named world Player of the Year three times, in 2010, 2015 and 2016.

But shooting at well over 100 km/h is only one of Neagu’s qualities. Her handball IQ is one of the best out there, drawing plaudits from many coaches, opponents and teammates.

“It is a real challenge to coach a player like Neagu, because she is truly competitive and she wants to win every game. In training, with her attitude, she is the leader and inspires the other players,” says Romania coach Ambros Martin.

The Spanish coach has also been Neagu’s opponent. His former team, Györi Audi ETO KC, played against CSM Bucuresti at the Women’s EHF FINAL4 last season.

“I am not afraid of Neagu. Every team must have the utmost respect for her and we know what she can do on the court. It is not that she can score 10 to 12 goals per match – it is her mindset and how she helps her team be better on both sides of the game,” said Martin.
 
The experienced side

Players have come and gone in the last decade, but Neagu has been the constant in the Romania side and young players are looking to her more and more. She is one of the most respected sportswomen in Romania and a model for every kid who decides to take up handball.

“Now, having so many seasons behind me, I can say I am more experienced, I know what to do on the court and I am a little bit more intelligent. I am not the child who shot 100 times in trainings without a care in the world,” says Neagu.

Two years ago, at the Women’s EHF EURO 2016, Neagu placed third in the top goal scorer rankings, with 46 goals – seven less than top scorer Nora Mørk – despite playing one game less than the Norwegian right back.

In France, Romania will need the 30-year-old left back at her best if they want to achieve at least the same result as the previous tournament, fifth place. Nobody can predict how the EURO will progress, but count on one thing – Neagu’s motivation is sky high.