Cristina Neagu

Cristina Neagu
Personal information
Full name Cristina Georgiana Neagu
Born (1988-08-26) 26 August 1988
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
Years Team
2000–0000 CSŞ 5 Bucureşti
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– CSM București
National team
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2006– Romania 160 (697)

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

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 handball player in history to win three IHF World Player of the Year awards (in 2010, 2015 and 2016).[2] Neagu is also an All-EHF Champions League first teamer in the last four editions (2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018).

She was given the award of Cetățean de onoare ("Honorary Citizen") of the city of Bucharest in 2017.[3]

Early life

Cristina Neagu is the daughter of Vasilica and Constantin Neagu. She was born in Bucharest, Romania, and grew up in Ghencea, a district of Bucharest. Neagu has two elder sisters, Ioana and Andreea.[4]

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 at 605 days (approximately 1 year and 7 months) after injury and after she received long-term treatment in the United States.[5]

She got seriously injured again during a training session in January 2013. Neagu was out for six months after undergoing surgery on left knee for ruptured cruciate ligaments.[6]

Comeback

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.[7]

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 Handball World Championship in Denmark (2015), where she scored 63 goals - being the top goalscorer in the competition.[8]

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 for 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.

International honours

National achievements

  • Romanian National League:
    • Gold Medalist: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2018
    • Silver Medalist: 2007, 2008
  • Romanian Cup:
    • Gold Medalist: 2011, 2018
    • Silver Medalist: 2007
  • Romanian Supercup:
    • Gold Medalist: 2011, 2017
    • Silver Medalist: 2007, 2018
  • Montenegrin Championship:
    • Gold Medalist: 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
  • Montenegrin Cup:
    • Gold Medalist: 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017

Individual awards

Others

Youth and juniors

Newspapers and magazines

References

  1. ↑ "Cristina Georgiana Neagu". European Handball Federation. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
  2. ↑ "World's first female handball player to win three Player of the Year awards: Cristina Neagu sets world record". Worldrecordacademy.com. Retrieved 17 March 2017.
  3. ↑ "Cristina Neagu becomes "Honorary Citizen of Bucharest"". Handball Planet. 31 August 2017.
  4. ↑ "Acasa la Cristina Neagu: "Mami, ce medalie imi aduci?"" (in Romanian). Evenimentul Zilei. 16 December 2010.
  5. ↑ "Revenire după 605 zile » Cristina Neagu a jucat din nou pentru Oltchim". Gazeta Sporturilor (in Romanian). Retrieved 11 October 2012.
  6. ↑ "Cristina Neagu six months out!". Handball Planet. Retrieved 30 January 2013.
  7. ↑ "Karabatic and Amorim – Grundfos World Handball Players of the Year". IHF.info. 25 February 2015. Retrieved 26 February 2015.
  8. ↑ "La Roumaine Cristina Neagu désignée MVP du Mondial féminin". L'Équipe (in French). 20 December 2015. Retrieved 22 December 2015.
  9. ↑ "IHF World's best Rookies of the Year 2009". International Handball Federation. Retrieved 27 August 2010.
  10. ↑ "Cristina Neagu, cea mai valoroasă jucătoare a Europei în 2017" (in Romanian). Digi Sport. 7 January 2018.
  11. ↑ "Handbal (f): România a ocupat locul doi la Trofeul Carpaţi. Selecţionerul a definitivat lotul pentru Campionatul Mondial" (in Romanian). GAZETA de SUD. 27 November 2017.
  12. ↑ "Romania a castigat Trofeul Carpati la handbal feminin" (in Romanian). Sport365.ro. 6 November 2006.
  13. ↑ "Cristina Neagu, sportivul anului în Braşov" (in Romanian). Prosport. 11 December 2008.
  14. ↑ "Cristina Neagu, cea mai bună handbalistă din Liga Naţională în sezonul 2017-2018. Cum arată echipa ideală a campionatului, după voturile exprimate de antrenori" (in Romanian). Prosport. 21 May 2018.
  15. ↑ "Cristina Neagu defends ALKALOID FEMALE WORLD HANDBALL PLAYER 2016 title!". Handball-Planet. 11 January 2017.
  16. ↑ "WOMEN'S HANDBALL "BEST 8" IN 2014". Handball-Planet. Retrieved 11 January 2017.
  17. ↑ "MIZUNO FEMALE WORLD HANDBALL TEAM 2015 – BEST 8". Handball-Planet. Retrieved 11 January 2017.
  18. ↑ "HANDBALL WORLD UNITED: Over 35.000 votes for the best handball girls in 2016". Handball-Planet. 11 January 2017.
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