Paris Saint-Germain Handball
Paris Saint-Germain Handball, commonly known as PSG Handball, is a French professional handball club based in Paris, France. It operates as the handball department of Paris Saint-Germain FC. Founded in 1941, the club currently competes in the top tier of French handball, the LNH Division 1. Originally established as Patriotes d'Asnières, the club underwent several name changes and relocations before becoming part of Paris Saint-Germain ahead of the 1992–93 season. Following a period of decline and separation from PSG in 2002, the club was rebranded as Paris Handball and later entered a new era after being acquired by Qatar Sports Investments in 2012, adopting its current name.
The club's history has been marked by steady development and several pivotal turning points. After experiencing both successes and setbacks in the mid-20th century, PSG Handball rose to prominence during the 1990s under the PSG banner. However, the early 2000s saw the club suffer relegation and financial difficulties. The post-2002 period involved a gradual rebuilding process, with Paris Handball stabilising independently and achieving consistent domestic performances, laying the foundations for its resurgence prior to the QSI takeover.
Since 2012, PSG Handball have established themselves as the dominant force in French handball. The club have won twelve LNH Division 1 titles, six Coupe de France, three Coupe de la Ligue, and a record five Trophée des Champions. PSG have also claimed two LNH Division 2 championships earlier in their history. On the international stage, the club have become regular contenders, reaching the EHF Champions League final in the 2016–17 season and the IHF Men's Super Globe final in 2016, finishing runners-up in both competitions.
PSG Handball have played their home matches at the Stade Pierre de Coubertin, which also serves as the club's training ground, since 1992. The club hosted its European fixtures at the Halle Georges Carpentier until 2016, when Coubertin underwent renovation and refurbishment works to meet European Handball Federation regulatory standards for European competitions. The club operates a well-structured academy system, including a reserve team competing in the Nationale 1, the third tier of French handball, since its promotion in the 2017–18 season. The reserve team has won one Pré-nationale title, two Nationale 3 titles, and one Nationale 2 title. As part of PSG's long-term development strategy, the handball section is expected to relocate its training and academy operations to Campus PSG in 2028.
History
Asnières origins and relocation to Paris (1941–1992)
The Parisian club was founded in 1941 as Patriotes d'Asnières and adopted the name Asnières Sports one year later. In 1945, the team reached the final of the Coupe de France, losing to Villemomble at the Parc des Princes in front of an estimated crowd of 15,000 spectators. At the time, handball was played in an eleven-a-side format. Asnières Sports was chaired by Christian Picard, who was succeeded by his son Gérard Picard during the 1975–76 season; Gérard Picard remained president until 2003.In 1985, the club partnered with Racing Club de France and competed under the name Asnières Racing Olympique 92 until 1987. During the 1985–86 season, the team achieved promotion to LNH Division 1 for the first time in its history after reaching the LNH Division 2 final, where it was defeated by Villefranche. Following this success, the club's leadership persuaded the Council of Paris to join forces with the municipality of Asnières-sur-Seine to establish a major handball club in the capital. The Hauts-de-Seine-based team subsequently relocated to Paris and was renamed Paris-Racing-Asnières in 1987, before adopting the name Paris-Asnières Handball in 1989.
Several future international players featured for the club during this period, including Jackson Richardson and Patrick Cazal. Richardson spent two seasons with Paris between 1989 and 1991, while Cazal signed his first professional contract with the club in 1989. Under the management of Yann Blanchard, Richardson and Cazal, along with league top scorer Júlíus Jónasson, helped Paris-Asnières win their first trophy in 1990, claiming the Division 2 title after defeating Sélestat in the final and securing promotion to the top flight.
PSG takeover and OM Vitrolles rivalry (1992–1997)
On 7 July 1992, Paris Saint-Germain FC and its owners Canal+ took over the professional team and reserve squad of Paris-Asnières. Led by Charles Biétry, PSG's multisport project also included active sections in judo, volleyball, rugby league, boxing, and basketball. This development led to a further change of name, as Paris-Asnières became PSG-Asnières. The partnership lasted ten years. Chaired by Gérard Picard, the club played its home matches at the Stade Pierre de Coubertin and the Halle Georges Carpentier.During the 1992–93 season, under the management of Patrice Canayer, PSG competed in the Division 1, the top tier of French handball, finishing sixth with a balanced record of wins and defeats. In the Coupe de France, the team reached the quarter-finals before being eliminated by Vénissieux. The season marked a transitional but stable foundation for PSG's handball project, combining experienced internationals such as Patrick Cazal with the club's first steps under the PSG identity.
The following season, PSG reinforced its squad with Nenad Peruničić from Red Star Belgrade and made its European debut in the EHF European Cup, reaching the semi-finals after defeating Karviná and Benfica before losing to Drott of Sweden. Domestically, PSG finished fifth in the French Championship, just missing European qualification, and were eliminated in the round of 16 of the Coupe de France by Gagny. Meanwhile, the reserve team won the Nationale 3 title.
PSG entered a period of consolidation and renewed ambition under Macedonian manager Risto Magdinčev, who took charge for the 1994–95 season. French internationals Denis Lathoud and Stéphane Stoecklin joined the squad to replace Peruničić. Despite an early-season injury to Lathoud, PSG steadily improved, finishing fourth in the French Championship. The team also reached the semi-finals of the Coupe de France, where they were eliminated by OM Vitrolles, and secured qualification for the EHF European Cup.
In 1995–96, PSG strengthened further with world champion pivot Gaël Monthurel, aiming to challenge OM Vitrolles for the national title. The team achieved its best domestic performance to date, finishing second in the league with 20 wins, 3 draws, and 3 losses, including two defeats to OM. PSG were eliminated in the quarter-finals of the Coupe de France by Ivry and suffered a surprise early exit from the EHF European Cup against Norwegian side Drammen.
The 1996–97 season saw PSG qualify for the EHF Champions League following the financial relegation of OM Vitrolles. Stoecklin departed for Germany and was replaced by Macedonian Tomče Petreski. The team struggled domestically, finishing fourth in the French Championship, 13 points behind champions Ivry, and were eliminated in the quarter-finals of the Coupe de France by Créteil. In the Champions League, the team defeated Hasselt in the round of 16 but finished last in the group stage, recording five defeats in six matches. The disappointing campaign led to Magdinčev's departure, leaving the club without a title during his tenure.
Decline and end of the PSG era (1997–2002)
Following a disappointing campaign, PSG appointed young manager Nicolas Cochery ahead of the 1997–98 season. The club lost its leading figure, Denis Lathoud, who joined Ivry alongside Dejan Lukić, and recruited Egyptian pivot Sameh Abdel Waress as his replacement. The season quickly unraveled: PSG opened with a five-match losing streak, while Abdel Waress suffered a shoulder injury that effectively ended his Paris career. Further setbacks included injuries to Gaël Monthurel and Stéphane Cordinier, the temporary signing of Radovan Djurković as a medical joker, and a doping suspension for Christophe Zuniga. PSG finished 8th in the French Championship, 27 points behind champions Montpellier. Despite reaching the Coupe de France semi-finals, they were eliminated by Montpellier, and exited the EHF European Cup in the round of 16 against Szeged.In 1998–99, the return of Bernard Latchimy after a season in Germany failed to compensate for the departures of Cordinier and Monthurel, the latter becoming manager at Saintes. Abdel Waress remained on the roster despite being sidelined for over a year and never returning to competition. After two opening defeats, PSG reinforced the squad with Yugoslav international Nikola Vojinović and Christophe Marais. While the Stojiljković–Vojinović pairing showed attacking promise, inconsistency plagued the team. PSG finished 6th in the league, with their strongest run again coming in the Coupe de France, where they reached the semi-finals before losing to Toulouse. Individually, Zoran Stojiljković stood out as the league's top scorer with 159 goals.
Ahead of the 1999–2000 season, PSG underwent another major rebuild, losing several experienced players, including Marais, Nicolas Farrenc, Gérald Motte, Christian Bertreux, and Fabrice Leton. To raise ambitions, the club recruited French internationals Olivier Girault, Stéphane Raphanel, and Stéphane Zuzo. PSG made a promising start and remained in contention for European qualification deep into the season, but a defeat at Livry-Gargan on the penultimate matchday cost them third place. The Coupe de France represented a final chance to secure Europe, but a heavy 32–25 semi-final loss to Dunkerque ended those hopes. PSG finished 4th in the French Championship, and Cochery left the club at the end of the season after failing to qualify for Europe.
Following the disappointment of the previous campaign, PSG appointed former Boro Golić from Nîmes as manager, ushering in a period of renewed ambition. Goalkeeper Francis Franck departed for Germany and was replaced by Arnaud Siffert, as PSG assembled a competitive and motivated squad. The team made a strong start to the season, winning their first four matches and reaching the winter break with eight wins from ten games. After 20 matchdays, PSG sat second behind Chambéry, but a dip in form late in the season saw them finish 4th in the French Championship. Despite falling short of the title race, PSG secured qualification for the EHF European Cup and enjoyed an impressive run in the Coupe de France, reaching the final. Playing at Coubertin, Paris were defeated 30–26 by Montpellier, but the campaign was widely viewed as a success, marking a clear improvement and a return to competitiveness at the national level.