Having spent 10 years as a first division player and turning his hand to training 22 years ago, coach Krumbholz has been the guiding hand of the French women´s national team for over a decade. Under his expert tutelage, France has been present at every European and World Championship since 1999 and all three editions of the Olympic Games since 2000. For his efforts, women´s national team of France has been awarded with gold, silver and two bronze medals. Although, France have not attained the desired results in the past two competitions, Krumbholz returns to the European Championship with the aim of having his team on the winners podium once again.

Coach comments

”After our 5th place performance at the last World Championship 2007 in France and at the last Olympic Games in Beijing, I was a little bit disappointed by the results of the French team. Even if the French team is used to being at each competition (team France will participate in their 13th successive competition with the European Championship in FYR Macedonia), we hope to be on the winners podium, especially with the end of international career of 4 major players, Valérie Nicolas, Véronique Pecqueux-Rolland, Isabelle Wendling and our captain Stéphanie Cano. So, the next Euro with a few months to prepare a new team will be difficult for us. Even if I know that some players will take the intermediary, we have to build a new team with young players. We look towards next Olympic Games in London and we must work a lot beforehand. Sure, we would like to be among the highest nations of handball, but at this Euro with our difficult group attaining this will be hard.”

Nina Kanto was born in the Yaoundé region of Cameroon and is a graduate of business school speaking fluent French and English. The pivot has been playing handball since 1994. A total of six years were spent at her first club - Noisy le Grand - in 2000, she signed to Handball Metz. Since making her international debut, she has donned the tricolour 97 times and has scored over 160 for France. At the previous European Championship in Sweden, she was part of the French delegation that returned to France with the bronze medal. Although, there were no medals for France, in the summer of 2008, Kanto was part the Olympic team and after intense competition had to be satisfied with 5th place, but for Nina Kanto, this remains the best handball experience so far.

Raphaëlle started playing for JA Maiche at the age of 16, before moving Besançon Filles in 1996, where she stayed for 10 years. In 2006, she signed to Akaba Bera Bera where she is currently playing in the EHF Cup. Having made a name for herself on the in the left back, in addition to showing her versatility in the wing position, Tervel played her first international at the age of 20, stepping out in her national colours in 1998 against Poland. She has scored 305 goals in 173 appearances. Winning a gold medal in 2003 and picking up a bronze medal at EURO 2006 in Sweden remain the best handball experiences that Terval has had so far.

Born in the Aubenas region of France, Amandine Leynaud cannot remember a time when she did not play handball. She is currently in her eighth season with Metz Handball, prior to that she played for Bourg de Péage and her hometown team of Aubenas. The goalkeeper is one of the more recent selections to the national team. In 2005 she played her first international against Germany and has stepped out for France on 46 occasions. Although she did not take home any medals, Leynaud gained a tremendous amount of experience being part of the 2007 World Championship and 2008 Olympic delegation.