RK Vardar

RK Vardar
Clubname	РК Вардар 1961 RK Vardar 1961
Fullname	Rakometen klub Vardar 1961
Short name	Vardar
Founded	1961 (age 65) in Skopje
Ground	Jane Sandanski Arena
Capacity	6.000
Chairman	Mihajlo Mihajlovski
Manager	Ivan Čupić
League	Macedonian Super League
Season	2024-25
Position	Macedonian Super League, 2nd
Website	http://www.rkvardar.com.mk/
Colour 1	Red
Colour 2	Black
Pattern la 1	_vardar1718h
Pattern b 1	_vardar1718h
Pattern ra 1	_vardar1718h
Pattern sh 1	_southampton2122t
Leftarm 1	FFFFFF
Body 1	FF0000
Rightarm 1	FFFFFF
Shorts 1	000000
Pattern la 2	_hummelcoreXKwb
Pattern b 2	_hummelcoreXKSUw
Pattern ra 2	_hummelcoreXKwb
Pattern sh 2	_hummelcoreXKbw

RK Vardar 1961 (Macedonian: РК Вардар 1961) is a professional handball club from Skopje, Macedonia. Vardar is the most successful handball team in the country, having won 16-sixteen national League titles and 18-eighteen 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 HC Rabotnichki. In 1961, Grafichar 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 HC Rabotnichki, 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,^[3] 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 current President 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,^[4] 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,^{[clarification needed]} 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

colspan=6 ! style="color:black; background:red"\| HOME

colspan=16 ! style="color:black; background:red"\| AWAY

Accomplishments

Domestic competitions

Macedonian League

Macedonian Republic League

Winner:(3) 1959, 1960, 1975

Macedonian Handball Super League

Winner (16): 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, 2025–26

Macedonian Handball Cup

Winner (18): 1997, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025, 2026

Macedonian Handball Super Cup

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

European competitions

EHF Champions League

Winner (2): 2016–17, 2018–19

EHF Cup Winners' Cup

Third placed: 1998–99, 2004–05, 2010–11

Other competitions

SEHA League

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

Runner-up: 2012–13, 2015–16, 2019–20

IHF Super Globe

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

Sergey Samsonenko is the owner of the Jane Sandanski Arena where RK Vardar 1961 play all their home matches in the EHF Champions 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 2026–2027 season
Goalkeepers

Left Wingers

Right Wingers

Line players

Left Backs

Central Backs

Right Backs

Transfers

Transfers for the 2026–27 season

Joining

Milan Bomaštar (GK) (from C' Chartres MHB)
Leon Ljevar (LB) (from RD LL Grosist Slovan)
Mattéo Fadhuile (CB) (from Tremblay Handball)
Nikola Nechovski (CB) (from youth team)
Mohab Abdelhak (RB) (from THW Kiel)
Boban Popovski (RW) (from RK Multi Essence)

Leaving

Miguel Espinha Ferreira (GK) (to Beşiktaş) ?
Dmytro Horiha (LB) (to OTP Bank-Pick Szeged)
Mario Tankoski (CB) (to ?)
Nicolás Bono (CB) (to Fenix Toulouse) ?
Haruki Kawada (CB) (to Caen Handball) ?
Marek Marciniak (RB) (to Netland MKS Kalisz or Śląsk Wrocław)
Kristijan Stamenkovikj (RB) (to ?)
Miguel Pinto (RW) (to ?)

Transfer History

style="color:#000000; background:red\| Transfers for the 2025–26 season
Joining Uroš Mitrović (RB) from Fenix Toulouse Handball^[5] Vukašin Vorkapić (RW) (from RK Vojvodina) Nicolás Bono (CB) from Istres Provence Handball^[6] Miłosz Wałach (GK) from Industria Kielce^[7] Marek Marciniak (RB) from KS Azoty-Puławy^[8] Wiktor Jankowski (LP) from MMTS Kwidzyn^[9] Mahamadou Keïta (LW) from Ángel Ximénez Puente Genil Junior Tuzolana (LW) from Cesson Rennes MHB Jaka Malus (CB) from RD Slovan Haruki Kawada (CB) from University of Tsukuba João Pedro Silva (CB) from RK Vojvodina^[10] Filip Taleski (LB) from S.L. Benfica^[11] Kristijan Anastasovski (LP) from GRK Tikveš Leaving Marko Srdanović (LW) to RK Vojvodina Stefan Petrić (LB) to GRK Ohrid^[12] Matija Nikolić (CB) to RK Vojvodina Mladen Krsmančić (CB) to GRK Ohrid Nilton Melo (LB) to Caen Handball Vuko Borozan (LB) to GRK Ohrid Hanser Rodríguez (LW) to Caen Handball Achraf Margheli (RB) to Espérance Lars Kooij (LP) to Bergischer HC Alen Kjosevski (RW) to GRK Ohrid Mihail Alarov (LP) to RK Alkaloid Tomče Stojanovski (LB) to GRK Tikveš Tomislav Jagurinovski (RB) to Dessau-Roßlauer HV^[13] Filip Taleski (LB) to MOL Tatabánya KC^[14]

Staff

Professional staff

Position	Name
Head coach	Ivan Čupić
Assistant coach	Tomislav Čupić
Goalkeeper Coach	Mario Kelentrić
Conditioning coach	Matej Jovanovski
Physiotherapists	Rubincho Srbinoski Nikolina Bojadjiska

Management

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

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

2021–22	GP (Group A)	Elverum Håndball	39–30	27–27	5th
		Meshkov Brest	35–27	0–10
		Aalborg Håndbold	30–28	29–33
		Montpellier Handball	25–31	28–25
		THW Kiel	26–29	30–32
		Pick Szeged	27–30	31–34
		PPD Zagreb	20–19	22–23
	Playoffs	Telekom Veszprém	22–30	31–31	53–61

EHF Cup/European League

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
1995–96	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
2012–13	R3	SC Magdeburg	28–26	27–30	55–56
2023–24	QR	Rhein-Neckar Löwen	25–34	33–37	58–71
2024–25	GS	Valur	33–26	34–34	3rd
		MT Melsungen	32–30	18–34
		FC Porto	22–26	24–37

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
2006–07	R2	PAOK	43–29	34–29	77–58
	R3	US Ivry Handball	32–20	29–36	61–56
	1/8	Panellinios AC Athens	28–19	25–22	53–41
	1/4	RK Bosna Sarajevo	32–31	24–33	56–64
2008–09	R2	Chocolate Boys	36–27	30–32	66–59
2008–09	R3	Kadetten Schaffhausen	33–27	25–33	58–60
2010–11	R3	HC Berchem	42–23	29–19	71–42
	L16	FIF Copenhagen	33–20	27–23	60–43
	QF	UCM Sport RESITA	28–22	18–23	46–45
	SF	VfL Gummersbach	29–38	21–33	50–71

Statistics

All–time Top 10 Scorers in the EHF Champions League

As of 2021–22 season

Rank	Name	Seasons	Goals
1	Timur Dibirov	9	660
2	Igor Karačić	6	351
3	Ivan Čupić	5	295
4	Alex Dujshebaev	4	261
5	Stojanče Stoilov	9	206
6	Daniil Shishkarev	6	194
7	Dainis Krištopāns	3	190
8	Luka Cindrić	3	176
9	Vuko Borozan	3	156
10	Stevče Aluševski	5	121

Most appearances in the EHF Champions League