ŽRK Vardar

   
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ŽRK Vardar (Macedonian: ЖРК Вардар) is a Macedonian women's handball club from Skopje, North Macedonia. The team currently competes in the Macedonian women's First League of Handball, Women's Regional Handball League and used to be a top competitor in the Women's EHF Champions League.

History

Legendary Goal Keeper Inna Suslina Champion league match 2014
  • The Beginning

WHC Vardar was founded in 1961, as part of the Vardar Sports Club in Skopje, which had been founded in 1947.

WHC Grafichar Skopje club was established in 1948, and it was the top quality team at the time. They won many titles including the last one in 1960 before the fusion. In 1961 Grafichar renamed itself to Vardar and almost the entire team of the club Grafichar joined the team. WHC Vardar started with winning the championship in 1961. The next few seasons they played in a higher rank including playoffs for the Federal First Division. In 1963 after the earthquake, the Vardar team was dismissed and they didn't compete for many seasons until 1970. Most of the players joined HC Rabotnicki and Metalurg Skopje.

  • New Come Back

In the year 1970 after the financial situation got better they started to compete in Macedonian league again. They won 4 championships in a row from 1971 until 1974 and played qualification for the higher rank Federal Division. They didn't manage to get to higher rank losing tight barrage games with 1 or 2 goals difference in aggregate. In 1976 and 1977 they won the Macedonian championship again and next year they qualified for the second Division Federal League. They won the Second Division in 1978 and reached the play-offs for top flight federal division, but lost in aggregate 1 goal difference. In the next years they got back in the Macedonian league again. They won the title in 1983 .They played in the Macedonian league until 1992. After 1992 Macedonian league became the top flight league where they had tough competition in newly rising club Kometal GP Skopje.

Tatyana Khmyrova Champions league match 2014
  • First league days

Until Kometal Gjorče Petrov officially stopped working, Vardar was the only other club to win any title in any of the competitions in Macedonia by winning the 1994 Macedonian Cup. In the 2012/2013 season with the arrival of the new sponsor and sporting director Sergey Samsonenko along with some new players, the team started to achieve more positive results and won its first league title.

Jane Sandanski Arena
Maja Zebich Champions league match 2013
  • Stardom Days

Vardar got back on the champions track in the beginning of 2011 when their financial situation became great again. They brought many new top class players and started making champions team. With all those new super star players coming each year, Vardar started winning many championships and cups plus Regional League. They played with great success in the Women's Champions league beating the best clubs in the world and bringing Glory to Skopje fans. In the year 2012 the new Sports center Jane Sandanski was built which became handball temple of Glory . Since 2013, the team had three 3rd-place finishes in the EHF Champions League and two 2nd-place finishes in the seasons 2016–17 and 2017–18 being the only team that competed in the all EHF Final Four Tournaments.

  • Recent rank

Earlier in 2018 the president of the club, Gordana Naceva, announced the breakup of the team made up from world class players and added that they will focus on young players. In the season 2019 and 2020 Vardar finished 3 rd in the Macedonian league. They didn't play in the Champions league any more after they've decided that their team is not strong enough for the competition.

Arena information

Unlike the usual situation in handball of clubs renting halls from municipalities or private owners, HC Vardar itself is the owner of the Jane Sandanski Arena where they play all their home matches in the Women's EHF Champions League, the Women's Regional Handball League and in the domestic competitions.

Accomplishments

Domestic competitions North Macedonia

Winners (6): 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18
Winners (6): 1994, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018

European competitions European Union

Runner-up: 2016–17, 2017–18
Third placed: 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16

Other competitions

  • Women's Regional Handball League:
Winners: 2016–17, 2017–18
Runner-up: 2013–14
Third placed: 2015
  • Vardar Trophy:
Winners: 2015
Runner-up: 2017

Kits

HOME

2017–18
AWAY

2017–18

Team

Current squad of the first team

Current squad

Squad for the 2021–22 season
WHC Vardar 1961
Goalkeepers
  • 01 North Macedonia Jovana Trajkoska
  • 12 North Macedonia Simona Grujovska
  • 16 North Macedonia Andrea Ilić
Right Wingers
  • 28 North Macedonia Sara Minovska
  • 40 North Macedonia Iva Jakovchevska
  • 74 North Macedonia Mirjana Petkovska
Left Wingers
  • 08 North Macedonia Stefanija Gjeorgievska
  • 21 North Macedonia Ivona Trpevska
  • 26 North Macedonia Bojana Dinevska
Line players
  • 93 North Macedonia Katerina Damjanoska
Left Backs
  • 03 North Macedonia Marija Gocevska
  • 31 North Macedonia Andrea Sedloska
  • 97 North Macedonia Milica Nikolić
Central Backs
  • 10 North Macedonia Ana Marija Božinovska
  • 14 North Macedonia Keti Angelovska
  • 23 North Macedonia Angela Grozdanovska
  • 33 North Macedonia Ana Marija Kolarovska
  • 51 North Macedonia Marija Galevska
Right Backs
  • 24 North Macedonia Angela Kostović

Staff

Professional staff

Position Name
Head coach North Macedonia Dragana Pecevska Ristova
Assistant coach North Macedonia Biljana Crvenkoska
Goalkeeping coach North Macedonia Aleksandar Carchev
Conditioning coach Serbia Marija Lojanica
Physiotherapists North Macedonia Bojana Božinovska

Management

Position Name
Owner North Macedonia Mihajlo Mihajlovski
President North Macedonia Gordana Naceva
Executive director North Macedonia Davor Stojanovski
Operative manager North Macedonia Ana Stojkov
Sporting director Russia Eduard Koksharov

Former club members

Notable former players

Notable former coaches

Kit manufacturers

European competitions record

EHF Champions League

Season Round Club Home Away Aggregate
2013–14 Q2-SF Italy Jomi Salerno 35–16
Q2-F France Fleury Loiret Handball 33–25
GM
(Group D) 		Norway Larvik 27–27 31–29 1st
Spain Balonmano Bera Bera 30–20 23–19
Croatia RK Podravka Koprivnica 39–26 35–17
MR
(Group 1) 		Denmark FC Midtjylland 24–23 24–25 1st
Germany Thüringer HC 31–25 24–24
Sweden IK Sävehof 24–18 27–27
SF (F4) Montenegro Budućnost 20–22
3rd (F4) Denmark FC Midtjylland 34–31
2014–15 GM
(Group C) 		Montenegro Budućnost 24–24 17–23 2nd
Croatia Podravka Koprivnica 35–25 27–26
Germany Thüringer HC 26–21 20–21
MR
(Group 1) 		Russia Dinamo-Sinara 28–27 25–33 2nd
Germany HC Leipzig 26–20 23–26
Slovenia RK Krim 41–30 47–29
QF Hungary Győri ETO KC 24–18 27–27 51–45
SF (F4) Montenegro Budućnost 17–27
3rd (F4) Russia Dinamo-Sinara 28–26
2015–16 GM
(Group C) 		Denmark FC Midtjylland 33–24 25−15 2nd
Austria Hypo Niederösterreich 37−25 38–25
Hungary Győri ETO KC 22–27 27−28
MR
(Group 2) 		Romania CSM Bucharest 22−21 30−25 3rd
Montenegro Budućnost 26−24 19−31
Sweden IK Sävehof 37−25 29−26
QF Norway Larvik 34–20 26–28 60–48
SF (F4) Romania CSM Bucharest 21–27
3rd (F4) Montenegro Budućnost 30–28
2016–17 GM
(Group B) 		Hungary Ferencvárosi TC 27–27 37–24 1st
Russia HC Astrakhanochka 39–25 31–26
Germany HC Leipzig 41–24 45–22
MR
(Group 1) 		France Metz 23−21 28−42 1st
Montenegro Budućnost 28−31 31−28
Germany Thüringer HC 36−26 31−29
QF Denmark FC Midtjylland 26–24 28–26 54–50
SF (F4) Romania CSM Bucharest 38–33
F (F4) Hungary Győri ETO KC 30–31 (ET)
2017–18 GM
(Group C) 		Hungary Ferencvárosi TC 34–31 29–28 1st
Norway Larvik 30–27 31–19
Germany Thüringer HC 29–21 29–21
MR
(Group 2) 		France Metz 29−23 22−24 1st
Germany SG BBM Bietigheim 30−22 38−26
Montenegro Budućnost 31−24 30−25
QF Denmark FC Midtjylland 32–25 24–23 56–48
SF (F4) Russia Rostov-Don 25–19
F (F4) Hungary Győri ETO KC 26–27 (ET)

EHF Cup

Season Round Club 1st leg 2nd leg Aggregate
2002–03 R2 Serbia and Montenegro Duvanska Industrija Nis 11–45 14–33 25–78
2003–04 R2 Greece O.F.N. Ionias 21–28 12–30 33–58
2011–12 R32 Hungary Békéscsabai ENKSE 20–39 20–40 40–79
2012–13 2Q Greece Patras 28–19 27–16 55–35
R16 Russia Kuban Krasnodar 30–28 17–22 47–50

Challenge Cup

Season Round Club 1st leg 2nd leg Aggregate
1999–00 1/16 Lithuania Eastcon AG Vilnius 15–35 13–35 28–70
1994–95 1/16 Switzerland ATV Basel 24–16 23–23 47–39
1/8 Germany TV Mainzlar 20–31 24–24 44–54
1995–96 1/16 Austria Austria Tabak 15–24 11–21 26–45
2001–02 R3 North Macedonia RK Skopje 18–20 16–14 34–34
R4 Portugal CD Gil Eanes-Lagos 13–25 31–26 44–51
2008–09 R3 Turkey Cankaya Beld 30–33 32–32 52–55

Regional Handball League

Season Round Club 1st leg 2nd leg Placement
2012–13 MR Serbia ŽRK Zaječar 25–28 32–29 5th
Serbia ŽORK Jagodina 36–26 24–22
Montenegro Budućnost 21–26 21–41
Montenegro ŽRK Biseri Pljevlja 31–24 37–20
Croatia RK Lokomotiva Zagreb 21–23 25–28
Croatia Podravka Koprivnica 23–25 22–25
North Macedonia ŽRK Metalurg 16–25 14–23
2013–14 MR Montenegro ŽRK Danilovgrad 33–13 25–16 2nd
Montenegro Budućnost 20–24 28–32
Slovenia RK Krim 26–22 CAN
Slovenia RK Zagorje 35–27 33–22
Croatia RK Lokomotiva Zagreb 16–14 21–25
Croatia Podravka Koprivnica 28–28 29–24
North Macedonia ŽRK Metalurg 35–26 29–22
2016–17 MR Montenegro Budućnost 29–30 28–27 1st
Croatia Podravka Koprivnica 30–19 35–18
Slovenia RK Krim 38–29 27–26
SF Croatia Podravka Koprivnica 29–16
F Montenegro Budućnost 27–25
2017–18 MR Montenegro Budućnost 24–22

31–24

27–26

21–20

25–25

1st
Slovenia RK Krim 30–27

25–24

29–34

32–29

32–31

European competitions record (WHC Vardar SCJS)

EHF Cup

Season Round Club 1st leg 2nd leg Aggregate
2014–15 R3 Hungary Dunaújvárosi KKA 20–28 15–30 35–58

Challenge Cup

Season Round Club 1st leg 2nd leg Aggregate
2015–16 R3 United Kingdom London Angels HC 27–14 35–17 62–31
L16 Serbia Minaqua Vojvodina 26–24 31–27 57–51
QF Ukraine HC Karpaty Uzhhorod 22–19 17–28 39–47
2016–17 R3 Bulgaria HC Svilengrad-PU 24–17 29–22 53–39
1/8 Sweden H 65 Höör 13–26 20–26 33–52

Statistics

All–time Top 10 Scorers in the EHF Champions League

As of 2017–18 season
Rank Name Seasons Goals
1 Croatia Andrea Penezić 4 371
2 Serbia Andrea Lekić 5 335
3 Montenegro Jovanka Radičević 5 293
4 Slovenia Barbara Lazović 4 144
5 France Alexandra Lacrabère 2 114
6 France Siraba Dembélé 3 113
7 Russia Tatyana Khmyrova 5 105
8 Croatia Maja Sokač 3 95
9 Germany Anja Althaus 3 90
10 Serbia Dragana Cvijić 1 55

Most appearances in the EHF Champions League

As of 2017–18 season
Rank Name Seasons Appearances
1 Montenegro Jovanka Radičević 5 77
2 France Amandine Leynaud 5 75
3 Montenegro Andrea Klikovac 5 74
4 Russia Inna Suslina 5 73
5 Serbia Andrea Lekić 5 70
6 Russia Tatyana Khmyrova 5 63
Croatia Andrea Penezić 4 63
Slovenia Barbara Lazović 4 63
9 France Siraba Dembélé 3 46
10 Croatia Maja Sokač 3 45
Germany Anja Althaus 3 45

Individual awards in the EHF Champions League

Season Player Award
2013–14 Montenegro Ana Đokić All–Star Team (Best Line Player)
Montenegro Jovanka Radičević All–Star Team (Best Right Wing)
2014–15 Croatia Andrea Penezić
(shared with Romania Cristina Neagu) 		Top Scorer (102 goals)
France Siraba Dembélé All–Star Team (Best Left Wing)
2015–16 Montenegro Jovanka Radičević All–Star Team (Best Right Wing)
2016–17 Croatia Andrea Penezić Top Scorer (98 goals)
Norway Camilla Herrem All–Star Team (Best Left Wing)
2017–18 Serbia Dragana Cvijić All–Star Team (Best Line Player)
France Amandine Leynaud MVP of the Final 4

References

  1. ^ "ZRK Vardar sack Indira Kastratovic". Handball Planet. 2016-10-17. Retrieved 2021-05-02.

External links

  • Official website
  • ŽRK Vardar on Facebook