RK Vardar

This article is about the men's handball club. For other uses, see Vardar (disambiguation).
РК Вардар 1961
RK Vardar 1961
Full nameRakometen klub
Vardar 1961
Short nameVardar
Founded1961 (1961) in Skopje
ArenaJane Sandanski Arena
Capacity5.800
PresidentMihajlo Mihajlovski
Head coachIvan Čupić
LeagueMacedonian Super League
2023–24Macedonian Super League,
2nd
Club colours   
Home
Away
Website
Official site
Active departments of Sports Club Vardar
Football Handball Basketball

RK Vardar 1961 (Macedonian: РК Вардар 1961) is a professional handball club from Skopje, Republic of Macedonia. Vardar is the most successful handball team in the country, having won 15-fifteen national League titles and 17-seventeen League Cup titles. Vardar is also the most successful team in the regional SEHA League, having won five titles and 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, and second only to Rabotnički. 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. Early members of Vardar include goalkeeper Jovanovski, as well as Atanasovski, Zdravkovski, Savevski and Bozinovski. Vardar joined the Yugoslav Handball Championship in 1976 where played for 2 seasons. In the 1980s 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. The club achieved either championship or runner-up status in the Macedonian Super League every since 1999, with the exception of 2005, where they finished 4th. In 2018 they became the most winning team in the Macedonian handball championship by winning their twelfth title. They are also the record cup winner with thirteen titles. 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 2016–17 season was the most successful for the team, as they won the EHF Champions League and the regional SEHA League, 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 in Macedonia Square in Skopje. Because of the huge success the currentPresident of the Republic of Macedonia, Gjorgje Ivanov 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 won 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.

In 2023 they won the Macedonian cup. The final match was a between the heavyweights Vardar and Eurofarm, held at Ohrids SRC Biljanini Izvori. In this great festive atmosphere, both teams gave an outstanding performance. The first half went to the Red Army, leaving the score at 15 to 10. In the second half, Eurofarm fought hard for a comeback, and the game went into overtime. In the end, due in large part to a brilliant performance by long-time goalkeeper Borko Ristovski, Vardar won 26 to 25, adding a 16th Cup Trophy to their rich collection. At the beginning of the 2023–24 season, the Red Black Army won the Super Cup 2023 against then-champions Eurofarm in Strumitsa Sports Center, a neutral ground chosen for the occasion. The first half finished in a 13–13 tie, but in the second half, Vardar made a resurgence and won the match 26 to 30. The Super Cup Trophy returned after 3 years to the home of the Red Black Jane Sandansky's trophy collection.

Kits

Accomplishments

Domestic competitions

Macedonian League

Winner:(3) 1959, 1960, 1975
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, 2020–21, 2021-22
Winner (17): 1997, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025
Winner (4): 2017, 2018, 2019, 2023

European competitions

Winner (2): 2016–17, 2018–19
Third placed: 1998–99, 2004–05, 2010–11

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

  • Double
Winners (9): 2000–01, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2006–07, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2020–21
  • Triple Crown
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 5,850 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 2025–2026 season

Transfers

Transfers for the 2025–26 season

Staff

Former club members

Notable former players

Notable former coaches

Notable former presidents

European competitions record

EHF Champions League

Season Round Club Home Away Aggregate:
1999–00 1/16 TV Suhr Handball 33–37 26–30 59–67
2001–02 R 2 ASKI Ankara 37–31 27–28 64–59
GM
(Group D) 		Fotex KC Veszprém 24–27 22–27 3rd
Sportclub Magdeburg 27–27 19–33
S. O. Chambery 32–30 28–31
2002–03 QR 1 HC Eynatten G.o.E. 32–24 31–28 63–52
QR 2 Sandefjord TIF 29–23 26–26 55–49
GM
(Group D) 		RK Zagreb 25–28 25–30 4th
THW Kiel 27–26 23–34
"Fibrexnylon" Savinesti 26–25 26–38
2003–04
GM
(Group B) 		Sportclub Magdeburg 28–30 24–38 4th
FC Barcelona 27–35 19–41
Haukar Hafnarfjördur 26–32 33–34
2004–05
GM
(Group A) 		FC Barcelona 12–26 22–31 3rd
SC Pick Szeged 24–24 18–25
HCM Constanta 22–22 26–25
2007–08 QR 1 Pölva Serviti 37–22 30–30 67–52
GM
(Group C) 		Kadetten Schaffhausen GCZ 27–26 30–36 4th
HC Croatia Osiguranje-Zagreb 26–34 28–28
C.BM. Ademar Leon 29–28 21–28
2009–10 Q
(Group 1) 		Besiktas JK 33–30 1st
HC Buducnost Podgorica 35–28
HC Dinamo-Minsk 34–24
GP
(Group D) 		KIF Kolding 25–32 21–28 5th
Reale Ademar 24–31 28–37
THW Kiel 23–33 23–39
GC Amicitia Zürich 22–22 31–24
F.C. Barcelona Borges 28–35 28–35
2013–14 GP
(Group C) 		FC Barcelona 29–29 23–30 4th
HC Dinamo Minsk 30–22 24–26
PSG Handball 24–24 25–35
Wacker Thun 32–25 37–24
HC Metalurg 18–26 27–22
L16 HSV Hamburg 28–28 30–29 58–57
QF SG Flensburg-Handewitt 27–25 22–24 49–49
2014–15 GP
(Group C) 		RK Celje Pivovarna Lasko 34–32 27–26 2nd
Chekhovskie Medvedi 39–28 39–34
Rhein-Neckar Löwen 28–25 35–28
Montpellier Agglomération Handball 30–26 34–34
MKB-MVM Veszprém 23–24 24–32
L16 Orlen Wisla Plock 31–20 26–32 57–52
QF KS Vive Tauron Kielce 20–22 31–33 51–55
2015–16 GP
(Group B) 		Montpellier HB 34–26 30–25 3rd
MOL-Pick Szeged 27–23 31–29
IFK Kristianstad 38–36 30–25
Rhein-Neckar Löwen 25–19 27–28
KIF Kolding Kobenhavn 34–24 31–33
KS Vive Tauron Kielce 34–24 20–23
FC Barcelona Lassa 25–27 30–31
L16 Orlen Wisla Plock 25–24 30–30 55–54
QF MVM Veszprém 26–29 30–30 56–59
2016–17 GP
(Group B) 		IFK Kristianstad 32–29 28–23 1st
HC Meshkov Brest 31–27 26–30
RK Celje Pivovarna Lasko 35–30 32–26
MOL-Pick Szeged 30–27 23–21
PPD Zagreb 25–20 27–28
KS Vive Tauron Kielce 40–34 24–27
Rhein-Neckar Löwen 26–29 33–27
QF SG Flensburg-Handewitt 35–27 26–24 61–51
SF (F4) FC Barcelona Handbol 26–25
F (F4) PSG Handball 24–23
2017–18 GP
(Group A) 		Orlen Wisla Plock 31–31 26–22 1st
HBC Nantes 27–23 26–27
PPD Zagreb 28–21 29–23
MOL-Pick Szeged 34–30 26–26
FC Barcelona Handbol 27–24 28–29
IFK Kristianstad 31–15 26–23
Rhein-Neckar Löwen 30–26 21–21
QF THW Kiel 27–28 29–28 56–56
SF (F4) Montpellier HB 27–28
3rd (F4) PSG Handball 28–29
2018–19 GP
(Group A) 		Montpellier HB 33–27 27–24 3rd
IFK Kristianstad 33–25 32–30
Telekom Veszprém 27–29 27–25
Rhein-Neckar Löwen 29–27 30–27
PGE Vive Kielce 28–27 27–31
HC Meshkov Brest 30–23 31–31
Barça Lassa 26–30 26–34
L16 PPD Zagreb 32–30 27–18 59–48
QF MOL-Pick Szeged 31–23 25–29 56–52
SF (F4) Barça Lassa 29–27
F (F4) Telekom Veszprém 27–24
2019–20 GP
(Group B) 		Montpellier HB 27–31 33–31 6th
FC Porto Sofarma 32–27 22–30
HC Motor Zaporizhzhia 38–28 31–30
THW Kiel 20–31 23–34
Telekom Veszprém 29–38 30–39
HC Meshkov Brest 36–31 22–31
PGE Vive Kielce 28–28 25–35
2020–21 GP
(Group A) 		HC Meshkov Brest 32–36 22–24 7th
Elverum Håndball 34–34 35–32
MOL-Pick Szeged 26–28 33–34
SG Flensburg-Handewitt 31–26 10-0
FC Porto 25–25 24–27
PSG Handball 0-10 5-5
Łomża Vive Kielce 29–33 29–36
Playoffs Veszprém KC 27–41 30–39 57–80

EHF Cup

Season Round Club Home Away Aggregate
1994–95 1/16 BM Granollers 35–31 23–34 58–65
1995–96 ER HC Shoumen 29–24 30–26 59–50
1/16 Zadar Gortan 31–31 24–33 55–64
2011–12 R2 HC Izvidac 27–25 26–29 53–54
2012–13 R2 Lovosice 36–19 24–25 60–44
R3 SC Magdeburg 28–26 27–30 55–56

EHF Cup Winners' Cup

Season Round Club Home Away Aggregate
1997–98 1/16 IF Guif Eskilstuna 29–28 25–28 54–56
1998–99 1/16 IFK Skövde HK 10–0 22–23 32–23
1/8 Gorenje Velenje 29–23 24–28 53–51
1/4 Sporting Toulouse 31 26–19 24–27 50–46
1/2 Prosesa Ademar León 27–29 20–35 47–64
2004–05 1/8 FCK Handbold Kopenhagen 27–23 29–28 56–51
1/4 Medvescak Infosistem Zagreb 36–20 31–26 67–46
1/2 RK Zagreb 23–21 26–34 49–55

Statistics

Individual awards in the EHF Champions League

Season Player Award
2013–14 Timur Dibirov All–Star Team (Best Left Wing)
2014–15 Alex Dujshebaev Best Young Player
2016–17 Alex Dujshebaev All–Star Team (Best Right Back)
Raúl González Best Coach
Arpad Šterbik Final Four MVP
2017–18 Arpad Šterbik All–Star Team (Best Goalkeeper)
2018–19 Dejan Milosavljev All–Star Team (Best Goalkeeper)
Ivan Čupić All–Star Team (Best Right Wing)
Dainis Krištopāns All–Star Team (Best Right Back)
Timur Dibirov All–Star Team (Best Left Wing)
Roberto García Parrondo Best Coach
Igor Karačić Final Four MVP

References

  1. ^ "Vardar is the SEHA League champion!". Borjan Zafirovski. Archived from the original on 2012-04-20. Retrieved 2012-04-15.
  2. ^ "Вардар ПРО победник СЕХА лигата". МИА. Retrieved 2012-04-16.
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