RK Vardar explained

Clubname:РК Вардар 1961
RK Vardar 1961
Fullname:Rakometen klub
Vardar 1961
Short Name:Vardar
Founded: in Skopje
Ground:Jane Sandanski Arena
Capacity:6.000
Chairman:Mihajlo Mihajlovski
Manager:Vlado Nedanovski
League:Macedonian Super League
Season:2023–24
Position:Macedonian Super League,
2nd
Website:http://www.rkvardar.com.mk/
Colour1:Red
Colour2:Black
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RK Vardar 1961 (Macedonian: РК Вардар 1961) is a professional handball club from Skopje, North Macedonia. Vardar is the most successful handball team in the country, having won fifteen national League titles and sixteen Cup titles. Vardar is the most successful team in the regional SEHA League, having won five titles. The team has also won two EHF Champions League titles.

History

RK Vardar was founded in 1961 as a part of the Vardar Sports Club in Skopje, which was founded in 1947.

The RK Grafichar Skopje club was established in 1948, second only to Rabotnichki in rank and quality. In 1961, Grafičar was renamed Vardar, and almost all members of RK Partizan Skopje joined the team. The emergence of the ambitious Vardar team presented a challenge to Rabotnički, which was no longer the strong first-league team from the past. Notable early members of Vardar who would become mainstrays included goalkeeper Jovanovski, as well as Atanasovski, Zdravkovski, Savevski and Bozinovski.

The promising talent, led especially by coach Boskos, who brought great knowledge from his career in Romania, a handball superpower at the time, where he lived until moving to Macedonia.Vardar played ambitiously, and after overcoming numerous obstacles and defeating their fierce opponents, Vardar joined the first division in 1976. They played there for 2 seasons, while in the 80s they spent most of the time in the second division.

The handball team rose to power again in the late 1990s, becoming one of two clubs, alongside RK Pelister, to dominate the Macedonian handball scene after the independence of the country.Vardar has participated in the EHF Champions League eleven times and made it to the semifinals of the Cup Winner's Cup three times. Except for 2005, when they secured the 4th place, the club achieved either championship or runner-up status in the Macedonian Super League since 1999. They achieved a record win in the Macedonian handball championship by winning their twelfth title in 2018 and are the record cup winner with thirteen victories. On April 15, 2012, Vardar defeated Metalurg at the Zagreb Arena to become the first SEHA League champion.[1] [2] The team has won five titles in the SEHA League. The club started the new 2013–14 season with a new management structure, with Sergey Samsonenko as the new proprietor and sports director of the club, and Mihajlo Mihajlovski as the honorary club chairman.

The season of 2016–17 was the most successful for the team because they managed to win the EHF Champions League and the regional SEHA League, including the two main domestic championships, the national Handball Super League and the national Handball Cup. Two days after winning the EHF Champions League, the team celebrated the victory with approximately 150,000 people in a ceremony on Macedonia Square in Skopje. Because of the huge success, Gjorgje Ivanov, at the time President of the Republic of Macedonia, awarded the members of the handball club Vardar a Medal of Merit for the Republic of North Macedonia for the results they achieved, especially for winning the Champions League title. The club was awarded the national charter of the country.

In the 2018–19 season, the team once again managed to win the EHF Champions League, the regional SEHA League and the main domestic championship, the Handball Super League of North Macedonia. One day after winning the EHF Champions League, the team arrived in the country with a private jet and celebrated the victory with approximately 250,000 people in a central ceremony at Macedonia Square in Skopje.

Accomplishments

Domestic competitions

Winner (15): 1998–99, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2006–07, 2008–09, 2012–13, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2020–2021, 2021-2022

Winner (16): 1997, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023

Winner (4): 2017, 2018, 2019, 2023

European competitions

Winner (2): 2016–17, 2018–19

Third placed: 1998–99, 2004–2005, 2010–2011

Other competitions

Winner (5): 2011–12, 2013–14, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19

Runner-up: 2012–13, 2015–16, 2019–20

Third placed: 2017, 2019

Individual club awards

Winners (9): 2000–01, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2006–07, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2020–21

Winners (1): 2016–17

Arena

RK Vardar is the owner of the Jane Sandanski Arena where they play all their home matches in the EHF Champions League, the regional SEHA League and in domestic competitions. It's a modern complex with a sports hall of 7,500 seats. It has its own hotel, spa center, hospital and swimming pool. The arena is named after the Macedonian revolutionary Jane Sandanski.

Team

Current squad

Squad for the 2024–25 season

Goalkeepers
Left Wingers
Right Wingers
Line players
Left Backs
Central Backs
Right Backs

Transfers

Transfers for the 2025–26 season

Joining
Leaving

Staff

Professional staff

Position Name
Head coach Vlado Nedanovski
Assistant coach Stojanče Stoilov
Goalkeeper Coach Aleksandar Roganović
Conditioning coach
Physiotherapists

Management

Position Name
Owner Mihajlo Mihajlovski
President Mihajlo Mihajlovski
Executive director Borko Ristovski
Chairperson of the NEDs Emil Ugrinovski

Former club members

Notable former players

Notable former coaches

Notable former presidents

Kit manufacturers

European competitions record

EHF Champions League

SeasonRoundClubHomeAwayAggregate:
1/16 TV Suhr Handball33–3726–3059–67
2001–02R 2 ASKI Ankara37–3127–2864–59
align=center rowspan=3GM
(Group D)		 Fotex KC Veszprém24–2722–27align=center rowspan=33rd
Sportclub Magdeburg27–2719–33
S. O. Chambery32–3028–31
QR 1 HC Eynatten G.o.E.32–2431–2863–52
QR 2 Sandefjord TIF29–2326–2655–49
align=center rowspan=3GM
(Group D)		 RK Zagreb25–2825–30align=center rowspan=34th
THW Kiel27–2623–34
"Fibrexnylon" Savinesti26–2526–38
align=center rowspan=3GM
(Group B)		 Sportclub Magdeburg28–3024–38align=center rowspan=34th
FC Barcelona27–3519–41
Haukar Hafnarfjördur26–3233–34
align=center rowspan=3GM
(Group A)		 FC Barcelona12–2622–31align=center rowspan=33rd
SC Pick Szeged24–2418–25
HCM Constanta22–2226–25
QR 1 Pölva Serviti37–2230–3067–52
align=center rowspan=3GM
(Group C)		 Kadetten Schaffhausen GCZ27–2630–36align=center rowspan=34th
HC Croatia Osiguranje-Zagreb26–3428–28
C.BM. Ademar Leon29–2821–28
align=center rowspan=3Q
(Group 1)		 Besiktas JKalign=center colspan=233–30 align=center rowspan=31st
HC Buducnost Podgoricaalign=center colspan=235–28
HC Dinamo-Minskalign=center colspan=234–24
align=center rowspan=5GP
(Group D)		 KIF Kolding25–3221–28align=center rowspan=55th
Reale Ademar24–3128–37
THW Kiel23–3323–39
GC Amicitia Zürich22–2231–24
F.C. Barcelona Borges28–3528–35
align=center rowspan=5GP
(Group C)		 FC Barcelona29–2923–30align=center rowspan=54th
HC Dinamo Minsk30–2224–26
PSG Handball24–2425–35
Wacker Thun32–2537–24
HC Metalurg18–2627–22
L16 HSV Hamburg28–2830–2958–57
QF SG Flensburg-Handewitt27–2522–2449–49
align=center rowspan=5GP
(Group C)		 RK Celje Pivovarna Lasko34–3227–26align=center rowspan=52nd
Chekhovskie Medvedi39–2839–34
Rhein-Neckar Löwen28–2535–28
Montpellier Agglomération Handball30–2634–34
MKB-MVM Veszprém23–2424–32
L16 Orlen Wisla Plock31–2026–3257–52
QF KS Vive Tauron Kielce20–2231–3351–55
align=center rowspan=7GP
(Group B)		 Montpellier HB34–2630–25align=center rowspan=73rd
MOL-Pick Szeged27–2331–29
IFK Kristianstad38–3630–25
Rhein-Neckar Löwen25–1927–28
KIF Kolding Kobenhavn34–2431–33
KS Vive Tauron Kielce34–2420–23
FC Barcelona Lassa25–2730–31
L16 Orlen Wisla Plock25–2430–3055–54
QF MVM Veszprém26–2930–3056–59
align=center rowspan=7GP
(Group B)		 IFK Kristianstad32–2928–23align=center rowspan=71st
HC Meshkov Brest31–2726–30
RK Celje Pivovarna Lasko35–3032–26
MOL-Pick Szeged30–2723–21
PPD Zagreb25–2027–28
KS Vive Tauron Kielce40–3424–27
Rhein-Neckar Löwen26–2933–27
QF SG Flensburg-Handewitt35–2726–2461–51
SF (F4) FC Barcelona Handbolalign=center colspan=326–25
F (F4) PSG Handballalign=center colspan=324–23
align=center rowspan=7GP
(Group A)		 Orlen Wisla Plock31–3126–22align=center rowspan=71st
HBC Nantes27–2326–27
PPD Zagreb28–2129–23
MOL-Pick Szeged34–3026–26
FC Barcelona Handbol27–2428–29
IFK Kristianstad31–1526–23
Rhein-Neckar Löwen30–2621–21
QF THW Kiel27–2829–2856–56
SF (F4) Montpellier HBalign=center colspan=327–28
3rd (F4) PSG Handballalign=center colspan=328–29
align=center rowspan=7GP
(Group A)		 Montpellier HB33–2727–24align=center rowspan=73rd
IFK Kristianstad33–2532–30
Telekom Veszprém27–2927–25
Rhein-Neckar Löwen29–2730–27
PGE Vive Kielce28–2727–31
HC Meshkov Brest30–2331–31
Barça Lassa26–3026–34
L16 PPD Zagreb32–3027–1859–48
QF MOL-Pick Szeged31–2325–2956–52
SF (F4) Barça Lassaalign=center colspan=329–27
F (F4) Telekom Veszprémalign=center colspan=327–24
align=center rowspan=7GP
(Group B)		 Montpellier HB27–3133–31align=center rowspan=76th
FC Porto Sofarma32–2722–30
HC Motor Zaporizhzhia38–2831–30
THW Kiel20–3123–34
Telekom Veszprém29–3830–39
HC Meshkov Brest36–3122–31
PGE Vive Kielce28–2825–35
align=center rowspan=7GP
(Group A)		 HC Meshkov Brest32–3622–24align=center rowspan=77th
Elverum Håndball34–3435–32
MOL-Pick Szeged26–2833–34
SG Flensburg-Handewitt31–26/
FC Porto25–2524–27
PSG Handball//
Łomża Vive Kielce29–3329–36
Playoffs Veszprém KC27–4130–3957–80

EHF Cup

SeasonRoundClubHomeAwayAggregate
1994–951/16 BM Granollers35–3123–3458–65
1995–96ER HC Shoumen29–2430–2659–50
1/16 Zadar Gortan31–3124–3355–64
2011–12R2 HC Izvidac27–2526–2953–54
2012–13R2 Lovosice36–1924–2560–44
R3 SC Magdeburg28–2627–3055–56

EHF Cup Winners' Cup

SeasonRoundClubHomeAwayAggregate
1997–981/16 IF Guif Eskilstuna29–2825–2854–56
1998–991/16 IFK Skövde HK10–022–2332–23
1/8 Gorenje Velenje29–2324–2853–51
1/4 Sporting Toulouse 3126–1924–2750–46
1/2 Prosesa Ademar León27–2920–3547–64
2004–051/8 FCK Handbold Kopenhagen27–2329–2856–51
1/4 Medvescak Infosistem Zagreb36–2031–2667–46
1/2 RK Zagreb23–2126–3449–55

Statistics

All–time Top 10 Scorers in the EHF Champions League

As of 2021–22 season

RankNameSeasonsGoals
1 Timur Dibirov9660
2 Igor Karačić6351
35295
4 Alex Dujshebaev4261
5 Stojanče Stoilov9206
6 Daniil Shishkarev6194
7 Dainis Krištopāns3190
8 Luka Cindrić3176
9 Vuko Borozan3156
10 Stevče Aluševski5121

Most appearances in the EHF Champions League

As of 2021–22 season

RankNameSeasonsAppearances
19143
2 Stojanče Stoilov9128
3 Daniil Shishkarev6101
4 Igor Karačić695
5 Ivan Čupić580
6579
7 Arpad Šterbik465
8 Alex Dujshebaev460
9 Strahinja Milić559
10353
Jorge Maqueda353
Mijajlo Marsenić353

Individual awards in the EHF Champions League

SeasonPlayerAward
2013–14 Timur DibirovAll–Star Team (Best Left Wing)
2014–15 Alex DujshebaevBest Young Player
2016–17 Alex DujshebaevAll–Star Team (Best Right Back)
Raúl GonzálezBest Coach
Arpad ŠterbikFinal Four MVP
2017–18 Arpad ŠterbikAll–Star Team (Best Goalkeeper)
2018–19 Dejan MilosavljevAll–Star Team (Best Goalkeeper)
Ivan ČupićAll–Star Team (Best Right Wing)
Dainis KrištopānsAll–Star Team (Best Right Back)
Timur DibirovAll–Star Team (Best Left Wing)
Roberto García ParrondoBest Coach
Igor KaračićFinal Four MVP

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Vardar is the SEHA League champion!. Borjan Zafirovski. 2012-04-15. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120420040147/http://www.handball-planet.com/2012/04/vardar-is-the-seha-league-champion/. 2012-04-20.
  2. Web site: Вардар ПРО победник СЕХА лигата. МИА. 2012-04-16.

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