Pera aims for glory in Graz with unbeaten Gloria

Ambition, determination and grit. These have been the main weapons for CS Gloria 2018 BN in their short history, as the Romanian side tried to become one of the best teams in Romania over the last six years.

Sure, there have been big splashes, important players signed and a steady growth. But the final piece of the puzzle was the recruitment of an experienced coach like Florentin Pera, who had previously led SCM Ramnicu Valcea and CSKA in the EHF Champions League Women, as well as the Romania women’s national team to the EHF EURO 2022.

Pera’s vision of handball is much like Gloria’s one – a gritty defence, “the best in Romania at the moment”, can seal the deal any time and the 44-year-old coach has helped the Romanian side create a 21-match unbeaten streak in all competitions this spring, as well as being the only undefeated side to make it to the EHF Finals Women in Graz.

The two visions have morphed into a common one, providing a launchpad for Gloria’s best-ever season in Europe, with only two matches separating Pera’s side from their maiden European trophy, just a few months after signing for the team in October.

“It has been a challenging season, of course, because we were involved in three competitions. We fought for the podium in the Romanian league, we were also alive in the Romanian Cup, where we finished third and here, in the EHF European League Women, we went on a 10-match unbeaten streak against tough opponents,” says Pera.

Indeed, Gloria Bistrita-Nasaud – from where the initials of the club come – has made a step further this season in all competitions, with an interesting mix of Romanian national team members and some key foreign experienced players, which clicked at the right moment.

For example, team captain Cristina Laslo will feature in her third EHF Finals Women, after finishing fourth in 2021 and 2022 with her former team Minaur Baia Mare, and Bianca Bazaliu has become a key player for Romania women’s national team after the retirement of Cristina Neagu.

The two backs have combined for 79 goals, being the team’s top scorers this season, while Brazilian goalkeeper Renata Lais de Arruda has been nothing short of extraordinary. In the EHF European League Women, de Arruda has stopped 115 shots for a superb 41.97 per cent saving efficiency, while in the Romanian league, the Brazilian shot stopper has a 37.8 per cent saving efficiency.

“I think Bistrita are an excellent club, with dedicated people, which have done everything they could to deliver the best chances for our players and the staff to achieve excellent performances. We are in with a chance to secure an European trophy for the first time ever, and I know that over 200 fans will come to Graz to support us, which is huge. We are always playing with our arena sold-out and this is a huge testament of what this teams means to the local community,” adds Pera.

Fate has it that for the first time when two Romanian sides have qualified for the EHF Finals Women, Gloria and Dunarea Braila collide in the semi-finals – meaning one Romanian team will surely play the final for the first time since the current format was introduced in 2020/21. Storhamar Handball Elite and Neptunes Nantes contest the other semi-final.

The two Romanian sides clearly know each other very well, having played three times against each other this season. Back in November, Gloria delivered a 27:26 away win against Braila, but six months later, in the Romanian cup semi-final on 20 April, the match ended in a 31:31 tie with Dunarea progressing to the final after overtime.

But Gloria went back to the winning side (27:24, after a seven-goal lead at one point) when the teams met again in the domestic league last Thursday (2 May) – just nine days before their clash in the EHF European League semi-final in Graz.

“Whatever opponent we would have faced, it would have been a very difficult match. However, playing against Braila suits us, because we know them well, they know us well, we have met many times and there can be little surprises on the court. Of course, we know Nantes very well too, because we drew and won against them in the groups, but we are focused to go to the final and see what happens there,” says Pera.

Regardless of winning the title – which would be “the cherry on the cake” – Gloria have big ambitions for the future, chief of which is to play their first season in the EHF Champions League Women.

“That would be the crowning achievement, of course, because there are a lot of people doing their best to try and create a perfect setting here and I think we are doing it quite well,” concludes Pera. “But right now, the focus is on the EHF Finals, and we want and we can win the trophy.”

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