When Javier Humet first came to Romania to play for HCM Constanța 11 years ago, he would not have even entertained the possibility of being in a position where a spot at the EHF FINAL4 seemed realistic.

But the Spain-born right back now has Romanian citizenship, features for the Romania men’s senior national team, and is coached by one of the finest Spanish masterminds in history, Xavier Pascual, who took over Dinamo București in 2021 and revolutionised the squad.