Cristina Neagu

Cristina Georgiana Neagu (Romanian pronunciation: [krisˈtina ˈne̯aɡu]; born 26 August 1988) is a Romanian professional handballer who plays as a left back for CSM București and formerly played for the Romanian national team.^[1][2]

Cristina Neagu
Neagu in 2017
Personal information
Full name	Cristina Georgiana Neagu
Born	(1988-08-26) 26 August 1988 (age 36) Bucharest, Romania
Nationality	Romanian
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Playing position	Left back
Club information
Current club	CSM București
Number	8
Youth career
Team
	CSŞ 5 București
Senior clubs
Years	Team
0000–2006	HC Activ Ploiești
2006–2009	CS Rulmentul Brașov
2009–2013	CS Oltchim Râmnicu Vâlcea
2013–2017	ŽRK Budućnost
2017–2025	CSM București
National team
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2006–2023	Romania	213	(936)
Medal record World Championship 2015 Denmark European Championship 2010 Denmark/Norway World Youth Championship 2006 Canada European Junior Championship 2007 Turkey European Youth Championship 2005 Austria

Often considered the best player in the world and rated by many in the sport as the greatest of all time, Neagu is the only female handball player in history to win four IHF World Player of the Year awards (in 2010, 2015, 2016 and 2018).^[3][4] She also won the EHF Player of the Year award in 2017 and 2018 (a record). She has been selected to the All-EHF Champions League All-Star Team seven times (2015–18 and 2020–22).

A prolific goalscorer, Neagu is the European Championship's all-time leader in goals scored (303).^[5] She was the 2015 World Championship top-scorer and was named MVP of the tournament.^[6] She also finished as the top scorer of the EHF Champions League in the 2014–15, 2017–18 and 2021–22 seasons.

Neagu was given the award of Cetățean de onoare ("Honorary Citizen") of the city of Bucharest in 2017.^[7]

Early life

Cristina Neagu is the daughter of Vasilica and Constantin Neagu. She was born in Bucharest, Romania, and grew up in Ghencea district, being the youngest of three siblings.^[8] Maria Covaci, local middle school coach, introduced her to handball when she was 12 years old.^[9]

Professional career

Injury

During the 2010–11 season, her right shoulder cartilage was damaged. On 10 October 2012, Neagu returned to play in the Romanian Women's Handball League, 605 days (approximately 1 year and 7 months) after suffering the injury and after she received long-term treatment in the United States.^[10]

She got seriously injured again during a training session in January 2013. Neagu was out for six months after undergoing surgery on her left knee after rupturing her cruciate ligaments.^[11]

Comeback and later career

After nearly two-and-a-half years of injuries, Neagu again reached the final stage of the Champions League, this time in 2014 with Montenegrin side Budućnost.

On 21 December 2014, she was awarded best left back of the 2014 European Championship. She was also among the tournament top goalscorers, ranking second.

After an outstanding 2013–14 season, she got nominated again for the IHF World Player of the Year Award, but this time she lost to Eduarda Amorim being named second best player in the world with 25.8% of the votes.^[12]

Neagu won her first Champions League trophy in 2015 after an outstanding season, topping the goalscorers list alongside Andrea Penezić and being voted the best left back of the competition.

She was named MVP player at the 2015 World Championship in Denmark, where she scored 63 goals – being the top goalscorer in the competition.^[6]

Neagu reached the final stage of the Champions League three times (in 2010, 2014 and 2015). She has been a member of the European Championship All-Star Team three times (2010, 2014 and 2016). She received a bronze medal at the 2010 European Championship, being also the top scorer of the competition and having the most assists.

A bad injury sidelined Neagu once again in the final main round match against Hungary at the 2018 European Championship when she was in a commanding position to finish as top scorer. She tore her ACL and had to undergo surgery on her right knee.^[13]

Personal life

Neagu is a huge football fan and a big supporter of local team FCSB, and attends their matches at the Arena Națională stadium.^[14]

Achievements

National Romanian National League: Winner: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2018, 2021, 2023 Silver Medalist: 2007, 2008, 2019, 2022 Romanian Cup: Winner: 2011, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023 Finalist: 2007, 2020, 2021 Romanian Supercup: Winner: 2011, 2017, 2019, 2022, 2023 Finalist: 2007, 2018, 2020, 2021 Montenegrin Championship: Winner: 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 Montenegrin Cup: Winner: 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017

International EHF Champions League: Winner: 2015 Finalist: 2010, 2014 Third place: 2009, 2012, 2013, 2018 EHF Cup Winners' Cup: Finalist: 2008 World Championship: Bronze Medalist: 2015 European Championship: Bronze Medalist: 2010 World Youth Championship: Bronze Medalist: 2006 European Youth Championship: Silver Medalist: 2005 European Junior Championship: Bronze Medalist: 2007

Individual

IHF

• 4× IHF World Player of the Year: 2010, 2015, 2016, 2018^[15]
• IHF World Rookie of the Year: 2009^[16]
• World Championship Most Valuable Player: 2015
• World Championship Top Scorer: 2015
• World Championship All-Star Team Left Back: 2015
• World Youth Championship Most Valuable Player: 2006

EHF

• 2× EHF Player of the Year: 2017, 2018
• European Championship All-Time Top Scorer (303 goals)^[17]
• European Championship Top Scorer: 2010
• European Championship Most Assists: 2010
• 4× European Championship All-Star Team Left Back: 2010, 2014, 2016, 2022^[18]
• European Youth Championship Most Valuable Player: 2005^[19]
• European Junior Championship All-Star Team Left Back: 2007^[20]
• Cup Winners' Cup Top Scorer: 2008
• 3× Champions League Top Scorer: 2015, 2018, 2022
• 7× Champions League All-Star Team Left Back: 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020,^[21] 2021,^[22] 2022^[23]
• EHF Excellence Awards Best left back of the season: 2022/23^[24]

National

• 6× Romanian Player of the Year: 2009, 2010, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018^[25]
• Romanian Sportsperson of the Year: 2015^[26]
• Brașov County Sportsperson of the Year: 2008^[27]
• Top Scorer of the Liga Națională: 2022
• All-Star Left Back of the Liga Națională: 2021
• 2× Most Valuable Player of the Liga Națională: 2020, 2021^[28]
• 3× Liga Națională Best Romanian Player: 2017, 2018, 2019^[29]
• Cupa României Final Four Most Valuable Player: 2018^[30]
• 3× Pro Sport Most Valuable Player of the Liga Națională: 2018,^[31] 2020^[32] 2021^[33]
• 3× Pro Sport All-Star Team Left Back of the Liga Națională: 2018,^[31] 2020^[32] 2021^[33]

Other

• 3× Handball-Planet World Player of the Year: 2015, 2016, 2018^[34]
• 6× Handball-Planet All-Star Team Left Back: 2014,^[35] 2015,^[36] 2016,^[37] 2017,^[38] 2018^[39] 2020^[40]
• TV 2 Norway World Player of the Year: 2018^[41]
• TV 2 Norway All-Star Team Left Back: 2018^[41]
• TV 2 Norway All-Star Team Left Back of the European Championship: 2018^[41]
• 2× World Cup Most Valuable Player: 2009,^[42] 2010^[4]
• 2× Carpathian Trophy Most Valuable Player: 2017, 2018
• 2× Carpathian Trophy Top Scorer: 2006,^[20] 2015
• 2× Bucharest Trophy All-Star Team Left Back: 2014, 2015

References

1. EHF profile
2. "Cristina Neagu Fapte și Statistici". Red Bull (in Romanian). Retrieved 6 November 2018.
3. Giuclea, Andreea (20 September 2019). "Cristina Neagu: Un 8 de Neoprit, documentarul unei cariere unice în handbal". Red Bull (in Romanian). Retrieved 11 October 2019.
4. "World's first female handball player to win three Player of the Year awards: Cristina Neagu sets world record". World Record Academy. Archived from the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 17 March 2017.
5. Ulmeanu, Ioana (4 December 2018). "Interviu EXCLUSIV: 100% Cristina Neagu – golgheterul all-time al Campionatului European de handbal". Elle (in Romanian). Retrieved 13 January 2019.
6. "La Roumaine Cristina Neagu désignée MVP du Mondial féminin". L'Équipe (in French). 20 December 2015. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
7. "Cristina Neagu becomes 'Honorary Citizen of Bucharest'". Handball Planet. 31 August 2017. Retrieved 31 August 2017.
8. "Acasa la Cristina Neagu: "Mami, ce medalie imi aduci?"" (in Romanian). Evenimentul Zilei. 16 December 2010.
9. "Prima antrenoare a Cristinei Neagu îi face o caracterizare inedită" (in Romanian). Libertatea. 16 December 2010.
10. Ursescu, Marian (11 October 2012). "Revenire după 605 zile " Cristina Neagu a jucat din nou pentru Oltchim". Gazeta Sporturilor (in Romanian). Retrieved 13 October 2012.
11. "Cristina Neagu six months out!". Handball Planet. 30 January 2013. Retrieved 30 January 2013.
12. "Karabatic and Amorim – Grundfos World Handball Players of the Year". IHF.info. 25 February 2015. Archived from the original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 26 February 2015.
13. Ursescu, Marian (4 November 2019). "Cristina Neagu, lungul drum al suferinței! Cum au arătat cele 326 de zile de calvar, de la operație până la revenire". Gazeta Sporturilor (in Romanian). Retrieved 10 December 2019.
14. Nicolae, Răzvan (15 February 2018). "Cristina Neagu îi susţine pe stelişti! "O iubire roş-albastră!"". Fanatik (in Romanian). Retrieved 23 March 2018.
15. "Neagu and Hansen named 2018 World Players of the Year". International Handball Federation. 18 March 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
16. "Neagu, "World's best Rookie of the Year 2009"". Nine O'Clock. 14 May 2010. Archived from the original on 1 February 2019. Retrieved 14 May 2010.
17. "Passing the top-scorer crown: Farkas to Neagu". fra2018.ehf-euro.com. 5 December 2018.^{[permanent dead link]}
18. "MVP Reistad leads EHF EURO 2022 All-Star Team". European Handball Federation. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
19. "5 lucruri pe care nu le ştiai despre cea mai bună handbalistă a lumii, Cristina Neagu!". Gazeta Sporturilor (in Romanian). 14 January 2011.
20. "Cristina Neagu". Sports-Hub (in Romanian). Retrieved 31 January 2019.
21. "Cei mai buni jucători ai anului 2018". FRH (in Romanian). Retrieved 17 January 2019.
22. "Fan favourite Oftedal leads Györ quartet in All-star Team". European Handball Federation. 28 May 2021.
23. "Györ quintet headline EHF Champions League All-star Team". European Handball Federation. 3 June 2022.
24. "Golden players make the team of the season". EHF. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
25. "Cristina Neagu, cea mai bună jucătoare de handbal din lume, pentru a patra oară!". CSM București (in Romanian). Retrieved 18 March 2018.
26. Constantinescu, Andrei. "Simona Halep și Horia Tecău, învinși de Cristina Neagu și Andreea Chițu". Doar Tenis (in Romanian). Archived from the original on 17 June 2020. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
27. "Cristina Neagu, sportivul anului în Braşov". ProSport (in Romanian). Archived from the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 11 December 2008.
28. Ursescu, Marian (2 March 2021). "Cristina şi Kristina, cele mai valoroase jucătoare din handbalul românesc! Vor fi adversare în optimile Ligii, 2021 Campionilor". Gazeta Sporturilor (in Romanian).
29. Ursescu, Marian. "Premii pentru Crina Pintea și Mihai Popescu " Federația Română de Handbal a desemnat cei mai buni handbaliști ai anului". Gazeta Sporturilor (in Romanian). Retrieved 9 January 2020.
30. "Primul trofeu al sezonului pentru CSM București. "Tigroaicele" au câștigat Cupa României". Digi Sport (in Romanian). Retrieved 1 April 2018.
31. Huțu, Marius (21 May 2018). "Cristina Neagu, cea mai bună handbalistă din Liga Naţională în sezonul 2017–2018. Cum arată echipa ideală a campionatului, după voturile exprimate de antrenori". ProSport (in Romanian). Retrieved 21 May 2018.
32. Huțu, Marius (25 May 2020). "Echipa sezonului în Liga Florilor și topul celor mai bune cinci handbaliste. Cristina Neagu este MVP-ul în 2020! ProSport a discutat cu toți antrenorii și a definitivat "superlativele"". ProSport (in Romanian).
33. Huțu, Marius (4 June 2021). "Cristina Neagu este MVP-ul sezonului 2020-2021 în Liga Florilor. Cum arată topul celor mai bune jucătoare în ancheta ProSport". ProSport (in Romanian). Retrieved 4 June 2021.
34. "Cristina Neagu is NBSC World Handball Female Player 2018!". Handball-Planet. 31 January 2019.
35. "WOMEN'S HANDBALL "BEST 8" IN 2014". Handball-Planet. 7 January 2015. Retrieved 11 January 2017.
36. "MIZUNO FEMALE WORLD HANDBALL TEAM 2015 – BEST 8". Handball-Planet. 7 January 2016. Retrieved 11 January 2017.
37. "HANDBALL WORLD UNITED: Over 35.000 votes for the best handball girls in 2016". Handball-Planet. 11 January 2017.
38. "WORLD FEMALE HANDBALL BEST 8 IN 2017". Handball-Planet. 8 February 2018.
39. "WORLD FEMALE HANDBALL BEST 8 IN 2018". Handball-Planet. 31 January 2019.
40. . Handball-Planet http://www.handball-planet.com/https://www.handball-planet.com/50831-2/. Retrieved 15 May 2021. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
41. "Umulig ikke å sette henne øverst" (in Norwegian). TV 2 Norge. 5 December 2018. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
42. "Handbalistele au luat Cupa Mondială pentru a doua oară consecutiv! " Hora de la Aarhus!" (in Romanian). Gazeta Sporturilor. 27 September 2010.

External links

• Official website (in Romanian)
• Cristina Neagu at the European Handball Federation
• Cristina Neagu at Olympedia