Nemzeti Bajnokság I (women's handball) explained

K&H női kézilabda liga
Founded:1951
Teams:14
Country:Hungary
Confed:EHF
Champions:Ferencváros (14th title)
Most Champs:Győri ETO (17 titles)
Tv:M4 Sport
Levels:1
Relegation:Nemzeti Bajnokság I/B
Confed Cup:Champions League
European League
Website:https://www.mksz.hu
Current:2023–24 season

The Nemzeti Bajnokság I (English: National Championship I, commonly abbreviated NB I) is the top professional league for Hungarian women's team handball clubs. It is administered by the Hungarian Handball Federation.

History

The first edition of the women's handball league was when the owner was pregnant, held in 1951. That year only four teams participated, playing once against each other. Csepeli Vasas SK were crowned champions as they got equal points to Budapest Vörös Meteor Közért, but were superior on goal difference. Next season Vörös Meteor took revenge and secured the title just ahead of Csepel.

The forthcoming years were characterized by long term team hegemonies: Budapesti Spartacus SC won seven titles between 1960 and 1967, whilst Vasas SC were awarded thirteen gold medals between 1972 and 1985.

Turning into the nineties, Ferencvárosi TC managed to appear in the dominant role. In the 1992–93 season, after topping the table in the regular season, they bled to death in the playoffs yet, but a year later there was nothing to stop them. Until 2002 another five league title landed in the hands of Ágnes Farkas and co. The lone team which managed to interrupt their run was the Radulovics-led Dunaferr in 1998. The Dunaújváros-based team won five titles altogether until 2004, when, after finished on the podium an incredibly nine times in row without having won the title, finally Győri Graboplast ETO KC lifted the championship trophy.

Since then ETO with the support of their new main sponsor, car manufacturer Audi, have won all but three titles losing the championship on all three occasions to main rivals Ferencvárosi TC.

Current teams

Competition format

At the beginning only four teams entered the National Championship. Later, the league have been expanded, first to 12, later to 14 teams. There was a short living try with 16 teams in two groups but the idea got dropped just after five seasons. Since 2006 the league is made up of 12 teams. The championship was held in one calendar year until 1987, when they switched to autumn-spring format. In the 2003–04 season Austrian top club Hypo Niederösterreich played in the league as a guest team, however, their results did not count towards the final ranking.

As we can see from the chart the number of teams in the Hungarian First Division changed a lot and continuously. The league started in 1951 with four teams and with the formation of teams the league expanded continuously. Currently, there are 14 teams in the first division.

Current format

The current system is composed by twelve teams. The sides play twice against each other in the regular season on a home and on an away leg. The top four teams qualify for the playoffs, where a best-of-three system is used. Teams ranked fifth to ninth and tenth to twelfth decide their final places in a classification round, using a round robin system, playing six additional rounds. According to their final position in the regular season, they awarded bonus points which are added to the points they earn in the postseason. Bottom two teams get relegated.

Title holders

Performances

By club

width=190Clubwidth=90; style="background:goldWinnerswidth=85; style="background:silverRunners-upwidth=80; style="background:#cc9966Third placewidth=405Winning years
Győr1957, 1959, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023
Vasas Budapest1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1992, 1993
Ferencváros1966, 1968, 1969, 1971, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2002, 2007, 2015, 2021, 2024
Budapesti Spartacus1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1983, 1986
Dunaújváros1998, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2004
Csepel1951, 1954, 1956
Hargita KC (Budapesti Építők)1989, 1990, 1991
Debrecen1955, 1987
Veszprém1970
Vörös Meteor1952
Miskolc1958
Debreceni Petőfi1953
Goldberger SE-
Pécsi Bányász-
Bp. Szikra-
Testnevelési Főiskola-
Békéscsaba-
BHG SE-
Érd-
Tatabányai Bányász-
Siófok-
Debreceni Építők-
Vörös Lobogó-
Vasas Elzett-
Bp. Postás-
Híradótechnika-
Secotex SE-
Vác-
Mosonmagyaróvár-

Performance by counties

The following table lists the Hungarian women's handball champions by counties of Hungary.

County (megye)TitlesWinning clubs
Vasas (15)
Ferencváros (13)
Bp. Spartacus (9)
Csepel (3)
Hargita KC* (3)
VM Fűszért (1)
Győr-Moson-Sopron Győri ETO (17)
Fejér Dunaferr* (5)
Hajdú-Bihar Debreceni VSC (2)
Debreceni Petőfi SK (1)
Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén Miskolci VSC (1)
Veszprém Bakony Vegyész (1)

Clubs

Since 1951, clubs have participated in the Hungarian League. Below the list of Hungarian League clubs who have participated in the first division. The club with the most appearances are the 12-time champions Ferencváros.

Notes
  • 1 seasons: Vörös Meteor Közért
  • 4 seasons: Csepeli Vasas
  • 1 seasons: Debreceni Építők
  • 1 seasons: Békéscsabai Pamutszövő
  • 1 seasons: Vörös Meteor FÜSZÉRT
  • 1 seasons: Vörös Lobogó KELTEX*
  • 1 seasons: Vörös Lobogó Pamut
  • 1 seasons: Mechanikai Szövőgyár SE (V. L. Magyar Gyapjúfonó)
  • 1 seasons: V. L. Váci Szövő
  • 1 seasons: Szombathelyi Bőrgyár
  • 1 seasons: Bp. Vörös Meteor

Statistics

EHF coefficients

See also: EHF coefficient rank. The following data indicates Hungarian coefficient rankings between European handball leagues.

Country ranking:EHF League Ranking for 2021/22 season:[1]

In European competitions

width=165; rowspan=2!<-- Commented out: --> EHF European League (EHF Cup) Cup Winners' Cup (defunct)
width=30 !Winning year(s) width=25 !width=25 !width=25 !Winning year(s) width=20 !width=20 !width=25 !width=20 !width=20 !width=25 !Winning year(s) width=20 !width=20
5 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019 4 4 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 1
1 1999 0 2 2 1998, 2016 0 1 0 0 0 1 1995 0 0
1 1982 4 3 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 1
0 2 3 1 2006 0 1 0 0 0 3 1978, 2011, 2012 2 2
0 0 1 2 1995, 1996 2 1 0 0 0 0 2 1
0 0 0 1 2005 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 1 2019 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 1 2 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 1981 1 0
0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
TOTAL 7 title 11 17 7 title 7 10 0 1 1 5 title 7 7

Top scorers by season

See main article: Nemzeti Bajnokság I top scorers (women's handball).

Notable foreign players

List of foreign players who previously played or currently play in the Nemzeti Bajnokság IAlgeria

Angola

Argentina

Austria

Azerbaijan

Belarus

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Brazil

Bulgaria

Croatia

Czech Republic

Denmark

France

Germany

Iceland

Italy

Japan

Kazakhstan

Lithuania

Montenegro

Netherlands

North Macedonia

Norway

Poland

Portugal

Romania

Russia

Senegal

Serbia

South Korea

Spain

Slovakia

Slovenia

Sweden

Tunisia

Turkey

Ukraine

Names of the competition

Broadcasting rights

See also

References

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2021/22 season ranking. European Handball Federation. PDF. 31 October 2021.