Paris (AFP)

After a historical first, the confirmation?

Finalists in the Handball Champions League last season, the Brestoises set out to conquer the Grail this weekend alongside their rivals from Metz who dream of imitating them.

But the season has not started well for Brest.

The French champion fell upon resumption in D1 Wednesday in Bourg-de-Péage (37-31).

Not ideal before returning to the C1 on Saturday (4:00 p.m.) with a much more perilous trip to the territory of Rostov, one of the top names on the continent where Grace Zaadi and Béatrice Edwige, gold medalists at the Tokyo Games in August with the Blue .

The Messines will begin on Sunday (4 p.m.) with the reception of another Russian power, CSKA Moscow, led by several Slavic Olympic vice-champions and reinforced with the arrival of a former scorer in series from Brest and Metz, l Slovenian right-back Ana Gros.

The "Dragonnes", their nickname, however approach this meeting with more confidence than the Bretons, having started the season with a clear success against Besançon (33-24).

The vice-champions of France are also thirsty for reconquest after a season without a single title to put in their mouths.

It's simple, in all competitions, whether in the Women's League (final), the Coupe de France (semi-finals) or C1 (quarter-finals), one and the same team stood in their way: Brest .

The 2020-2021 season turned out to be awe-inspiring for the "Rebels".

With their strong contingent of French Olympic champions (Darleux, Lassource, Coatanea, Foppa, Niakaté), they not only achieved the Cup-Championship double but also climbed to the final of the Champions League, something unprecedented for a French club.

The Norwegians from Kristiansand won the trophy in Budapest (34-28).

A route that strengthens the appetite of the Messines.

In 2019, the latter had tasted the last four, but had stopped in the half, beaten by Rostov.

Messina Orlane Kanor (c.), During the semi-final of the Women's Handball Champions League between Metz and Rostov, on May 11, 2019 in Budapest.

ATTILA KISBENEDEK AFP

- Rostov without Viakhireva -

“Winning the Champions League is a dream. But it's already a long road full of pitfalls to reach the Final Four. We have a young group this season. Several players from the training center have joined us. "They will discover the competition. This will make us grow as a group", underlines the center-half of the Bleues Méline Nocandy, "disappointed" not to be able to play Sunday in the usual room. Due to the Moselle Open tennis tournament, organized at the Arènes de Metz, the match is relocated to Nancy.

The Brestoises, they had to travel 18 hours to reach Rostov where their last trip, in 2019 in the group stage, was painful (30-24 defeat).

But Anna Viakhireva, then scorer of 7 goals, will not be there to abuse them.

The 26-year-old versatile full-back has decided to take a break after the Olympics.

With their status as vice-champions of Europe, the "Rebels" will be eagerly awaited everywhere.

To finish in the first two places of their group, synonymous with direct access to the quarter-finals, they will have to do better than the Montenegrins of Buducnost, titled in 2015, than the outsider Bucharest or the Danes of Esbjerg.

"This is a new page to write for a club that wants to settle in the long term with a history and ambition", underlines their new coach, Pablo Morel, successor to Laurent Bezeau.

Brestoise Pauline Coatanéa during the semi-final of the Champions League between Gyori Audi ETO KC and Brest Bretagne Handball, at the Papp Laszlo Arena in Budapest, on May 29, 2021. Attila KISBENEDEK AFP

The Messines have inherited the other pool with, in addition to CSKA, Kristiansand and the Hungarian ogre Györ, five-time winner of the competition.

Huge program!

© 2021 AFP