Montpellier Handball, formerly named Montpellier Agglomération Handball, is a professional handball club from Montpellier, France. Montpellier is the only French club to ever have won the EHF Champions League.
History The team was founded as Cosmos Montpellier in 1982. In 1992 they were promoted to the top division. From 1994 they were coached by Patrice Canayer who guided them to 4 French championships.
In 2003 they became the first French team to win the EHF Champions League, when they beat Spanish Portland San Antonio in the final 19-27 away and 31-19 at home.
In September 2012 18 people with connections to Montpellier, including 9 players, were accused of match fixing during a match against Cesson. The accusion was that they had lost a match on purpose, in which their relatives had put money on the result worth upwards of 89,000 euros. As a result several players left the club, including Luka and Nikola Karabatić (to Pays d'Aix UC HB), Erlend Mamelund (to Haslum HK) and Primož Prošt (to Frisch Auf Göppingen). Three years later Nikola Karabatić were found guilty and had to pay a fine of 10,000 euros.
After the 2023-24 season Patrice Canayer left the club after 30 years in charge. He was replaced by Érick Mathé, who had been the assistant for Canayer from 2015 to 2018.
Crest, colours, supporters
Naming history
NamePeriodCosmos Montpellier 1982–1987Montpellier Paillade SC 1987–1989Montpellier Handball 1989–2007Montpellier Agglomération Handball 2007–2015Montpellier Handball2015–present
Kits
HOME
AWAY
Accomplishments LNH Division 1: (14) Champions: 1994–95, 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–00, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12 EHF Champions League: (2) Champions: 2002–03, 2017–18 Coupe de France: (15) Champions: 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2015–16, 2024–25, 2025–26 Coupe de la Ligue: (10) Champions: 2003–04, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2013–14, 2015–16 Trophée des Champions: (3) Champions: 2010, 2011, 2018 Championnat de France N1B First place: 1991–92 Championnat de France Nationale 2 First place: 1988–89, 1999–00 (rés.) Championnat de France Nationale 3 First place: 1987–88 Double Winners (10): 1998–99, 1999–00, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2004–04, 2005–06, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2011–12 Triple Crown Winners (1): 2002–03
European record Season Competition Round Club 1st leg 2nd leg Aggregate 2016–17 EHF Champions LeagueGroup Stage Logroño 30–31 37–27 1st place Elverum Håndball 31–24 31–32 Metalurg Skopje 28–18 30–24 HT Tatran Prešov 28–23 28–24 Chekhovskiye Medvedi 26–22 33–27PO HC Motor Zaporizhzhia 36–34 29–29 65–631/8 Vive Tauron Kielce 33–28 28–26 61–541/4 MVM Veszprém 23–26 25–30 48–562017–18EHF Champions LeagueGroup Stage Metalurg Skopje 32–22 27–21 1st place Chekhovskiye Medvedi 28–24 34–23 HC Motor Zaporizhzhia 28–20 30–31 Beşiktaş 36–32 28–33 Sporting CP 33–29 33–32Playoffs CB Ademar León 28–24 20–19 48–43Round of 16 Barça 28–25 28–30 56–55Quarterfinals SG Flensburg-Handewitt 28–28 29–17 57–45Semifinal Vardar28–27Final HBC Nantes 32–262018–19EHF Champions LeagueGroup Stage Vardar 24–27 27–33 7th place Meshkov Brest 23–26 29–23 PGE Vive Kielce 26–29 28–27 Barça 27–35 28–36 Telekom Veszprém 29–30 19–25 IFK Kristianstad 29–29 30–31 Rhein-Neckar Löwen 27–37 31–26 2019–20 EHF Champions LeagueGroup Stage THW Kiel 30–33 32–33 4th place Telekom Veszprém 23–18 23–24 PGE Vive Kielce 25–24 29–27 Porto Sofarma 22–27 23–23 Vardar 31–33 31–27 Meshkov Brest 30–26 27–25 Motor Zaporizhzhia 34–30 26–25Round of 16 Flensburg Cancelled 2020–21 EHF European League2QR Skjern Håndbold30–3133–29 63–60Group Stage HC CSKA0–1010–0 3rd place SC Magdeburg30–320–10 RK Nexe37–2523–22 Besiktas Aygaz40–1626–36 Alingsås HK32–2133–25L16 Kadetten Schaffhausen27–2732–25 59–52Quarterfinals Füchse Berlin32–2923–31 55–60 2021–22 EHF Champions LeagueGroup Stage Pick Szeged29–2929–29 4th place Aalborg Håndbold28–3631–33 THW Kiel37–3026–35 RK Vardar31–2525–28 Meshkov Brest32–2631–31 PPD Zagreb25–2224–23 Elverum Håndball37–3039–32Playoffs FC Porto29–2935–27 64–56Quarterfinals Łomża Vive Kielce28–3122–30 50–61 2022–23 EHF European League2QR IK Sävehof24–2430–26 54–50Group Stage Kadetten Schaffhausen40–3630–28 1st place Tatran Prešov41–3027–35 Frisch Auf Göppingen35–2725–27 Fejér B.Á.L. Veszprém34–3039–31 SL Benfica33–2726–24L16 FTC36–3043–29 79–59Quarterfinals Sporting CP32–3231–30 63–62Semifinals Füchse Berlin29–35Third place game Frisch Auf Göppingen29–33 2023–24 EHF Champions LeagueGroup Stage Barça25–3037–34 4th place Telekom Veszprém31–3731–33 Orlen Wisła Płock30–2818–22 Celje Pivovarna Laško32–2131–29 GOG Håndbold36–2527–32 SC Magdeburg25–2824–28 FC Porto35–2429–25Playoffs RK Zagreb27–2730–24 57–51Quarterfinals THW Kiel39–3021–31 60–61 2024–25 EHF European LeagueGroup Stage Bjerringbro-Silkeborg40–2634–22 1st place Fraikin BM Granollers34–2528–24 Górnik Zabrze30–2527–23Main round HC Kriens-Luzern31–2732–31 1st place GOG Håndbold30–2827–33Quarterfinals FC Porto30–2935–32 65–61Semifinals THW Kiel 32–31Final SG Flensburg-Handewitt 25–32 2025–26 EHF European LeagueGroup Stage THW Kiel28–3018–27 2nd place BSV Bern37–2837–31 KPR Ostrovia37–2638–25Main round Irudek Bidasoa Irún38–3336–34 3rd place SG Flensburg-Handewitt35–3235–40Play-offs Elverum Håndball36–2431–35 67–59Quarterfinals HC Vardar 196133–2324–27 57–50Semifinals THW Kiel 28–29Third place game SG Flensburg-Handewitt 30–32
Team Current squad Squad for the 2025–26 season
Goalkeepers 12 Charles Bolzinger 92 Rémi Desbonnet Left Wingers 10 Lucas Pellas 90 Léo Plantin Right Wingers 22 Benjamin Richert 34 David Balaguer Line players 13 Rogério Moraes Ferreira 19 Arthur Lenne 27 Matéo Caille
Left Backs 11 Zvonimir Srna 26 Bryan Monte 93 Kylian Prat Central Backs 4 Diego Simonet 5 Kyllian Villeminot 18 Agustín Casado Right Backs 15 Jack Thurin 25 Lucas Guigon 28 Valentin Porte (c)
Transfers Transfers for the 2026–27 season
Joining Pol Valera (CB) from FC Portohttps://www.handball-world.news/artikel/in-porto-montpellier-findet-simonet-nachfolger-1231134 Drevy Paschal (LW) from Saint-Raphaël Var Handballhttps://www.lnh.fr/lnh/news/drevy-paschal-quittera-saint-raphael-var-handball-fin-de-saison Hugo Pimenta (RB) from Chambéry SMBH
Leaving Diego Simonet (CB) to SAG Ballesterhttps://www.handball-world.news/artikel/nach-karriereende-simonet-kehrt-nochmal-zurueck-1245738 Lucas Pellas (LW) to GOG Håndboldhttps://gog.dk/gog-henter-svensk-maalmaskine-i-montpellier/ Kylian Prat (LB) to Tremblay Handball
Transfer History
Transfers for the 2025–26 seasonJoining Léo Plantin (LW) (from Paris Saint-Germain) Zvonimir Srna (LB) (from RK Zagreb) Agustín Casado (CB) (from ONE Veszprém) Jack Thurin (RB) (from Aalborg Håndbold) David Balaguer (RW) (from Paris Saint-Germain) Rogério Moraes Ferreira (P) (from MT Melsungen)
Leaving Djordje Cikusa (RB) loan back to FC Barcelona Dagur Gautason (LW) to ØIF Arendal Jaime Fernández (LW) (to Club Balonmano Burgos) Ahmed Hesham (LB) (to ONE Veszprém) Staš Skube (CB) (to RD LL Grosist Slovan) Sindre Aho (CB) (to TSV Hannover-Burgdorf) Sebastian Karlsson (RW) (to Paris Saint-Germain) Yanis Lenne (RW) (to ONE Veszprém) Karl Konan (P) (to Paris Saint-Germain) Veron Načinović (P) (to THW Kiel)
Former club members
Notable former players
Joël Abati (2007–2009) William Accambray (2005–2014) Benjamin Afgour (2017–2020) Igor Anić (2003–2007) Grégory Anquetil (1989–2007) Arnaud Bingo (2016–2019) Sébastien Bosquet (2003–2005) Cédric Burdet (1995–2003, 2006–2009) Laurent Busselier (1996–2000) Patrick Cazal (1994–1999) Hugo Descat (2019–2023) Didier Dinart (1996–2003) Adrien Dipanda (2006–2011) Frédéric Dole (2004–2007) Ludovic Fabregas (2011–2018) Jérôme Fernandez (1999–2002) Vincent Gérard (2006–2008, 2015–2019) Andrej Golić (1992–2006) Mathieu Grébille (2008–2020) Michaël Guigou (1999–2019) Samuel Honrubia (2001–2012) François-Xavier Houlet (1994–1996) Franck Junillon (1987–2008) Luka Karabatic (2007–2012) Nikola Karabatić (2000–2005, 2009–2013) Daouda Karaboué (1993–2000, 2004–2010) Karl Konan (2022–2025) Geoffroy Krantz (2000–2007) Yanis Lenne (2019–2025) Pascal Mahé (1992–1996) Bruno Martini (2000–2003) Olivier Maurelli (1995–1996) Philippe Médard (1987–1989) Thierry Omeyer (2000–2006, 2013–2014) Valentin Porte (2016–) Laurent Puigségur (1990–2006) Melvyn Richardson (2017–2021) Mickaël Robin (2010–2014) Arnaud Siffert (2013–2016) Stéphane Stoecklin (1988–1990) Marc Wiltberger (1993–1996) Semir Zuzo (2003–2006) Abdelkrim Bendjemil (1990–1992) Rabah Gherbi (1996–1999, 2001–2003) Lucas Moscariello (2021–2023) Diego Simonet (2013–) Marko Panić (2021–2024) Felipe Borges (2013–2016) David Juříček (2004–2011) Jan Sobol (2007–2010) Venio Losert (2014–2015) Petar Metličić (2012–2013) Veron Načinović (2021–2025) Marin Šego (2019–2022) Damien Kabengele (1996–2006) Ahmed Hesham (2023–2025) Mohamed Mamdouh (2017–2019) Cristian Malmagro (2012–2013) Balázs Laluska (2014–2015) Uroš Vilovski (2012–2013) Allahkaram Esteki (2015–2016) Ólafur Guðmundsson (2021–2022) Geir Sveinsson (1995–1997) Jonas Truchanovičius (2016–2021) Erlend Mamelund (2012–2013) Alexis Borges (2020–2021) Gilberto Duarte (2019–2022) Ion Mocanu (1994–1995) Sorin Toacsen (1996–2000, 2003–2004) Igor Chumak (1992–1996) Jure Dolenec (2013–2017) Matej Gaber (2013–2016) Dragan Gajić (2011–2016) Vid Kavtičnik (2009–2019) Borut Mačkovšek (2014–2015) Primož Prošt (2011–2012) Staš Skube (2022–2025) Miha Žvižej (2016–2017) Mladen Bojinović (2002–2012) Mitar Markez (2010–2011) Rastko Stefanovič (2002–2004) Nebojša Stojinović (2008–2010) Nikola Portner (2016–2020) Richard Štochl (2010–2012) Martin Frändesjö (2000–2001) Lucas Pellas (2020–) Fredric Pettersson (2018–2021) Karl Wallinius (2021–2022) Aymen Hammed (2009–2011) Wissem Hmam (2005–2014) Marouen Maggaiz (2006–2008) Heykel Megannem (2007–2009) Sobhi Sioud (2001–2007) Mohamed Soussi (2017–2020) Issam Tej (2006–2015) Aymen Toumi (2015–2018)
Former coaches Seasons Coach Country –1991 Lucien Courdesse 1991-1994 Guy Petitgirard 1994–2024 Patrice Canayer 2024– Érick Mathé
References
External links