Before signing for CS Rapid București, Ivana Kapitanovic spent four years at Metz Handball, reaching the EHF FINAL4 twice, in 2019 and 2022. Hiring the Croatian goalkeeper was a coup for the ambitious Romanian side, who knew they needed an experienced shot stopper between the posts to pair with Diana Ciuca and Denisa Sandru.

But it was also a courageous step for the 28-year-old goalkeeper, who left a side that was fighting for the trophy every year to take a shot for a team that promised a lot, but only made their debut this year.