What better way to start the season than with a headline clash? Our team have a prestigious fixture awaiting them at the start of the 2025-2026 season. The reigning French champions (as they have been for the last 12 seasons) face the most recent winners of the Coupe de France, Montpellier, who defeated them at the AccorHotel Arena in an intense penalty shootout (36-35). These two giants of our championship will be competing for another trophy...
Since 2013, Paris Saint-Germain Handball have been present in every edition of the Trophee des Champions. And the results have been quite positive, as over this period, our players have lifted the trophy five times, making them the most successful team in the history of the competition. Montpellier have also been regular participants - and winners - with three titles between 2010 and 2018, as well as an appearance in the final in 2019.
This summer, both squads underwent a number changes. However, there will be more than a few familiar faces squaring off in Poitiers - two Parisian players joined Montpellier over the summer, while two MHB players made the reverse journey to the capital. Montpellier now have two of our former wingers in their ranks: Léo Plantin (2021-2025) and David Balaguer (2022-2025). Meanwhile, new Parisian boss Stefan Madsen arrived at the same time that French international Karl Konan and Swedish right winger Sebastian Karlsson (216 goals in two seasons in the LMS) eschewed the south-west for the bright lights of Paris.
With no fewer than seven new arrivals (Noah Gaudin, Abdelrahman Abdou, Emil Mellegard, Mickel Lovkvist and Mateo Maras, in addition to Karlsson and Konan), Paris faced a big challenge to perfect their teamwork this summer. However, it seems that coaching duo Stefan Madsen and Henrik Mollgaard got the job done, racking up four wins and one draw in their pre-season friendlies. Added to this was a successful tour of Tokyo, where training sessions and matches were punctuated by fun activities that clearly brought the squad closer together.
It will be broadcast live on beIN SPORTS 3. But you can also follow the match via the club's various social media channels.
(Credits: J. Azouze/PSG, E. Renard/Teampics/PSG, T. Senmartin/PSG)
