ŽRK Vardar

ŽRK Vardar (Macedonian: ЖРК Вардар) is a Macedonian women's handball club from Skopje. 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.

This article is about women's handball club. For other uses, see RK Vardar.

ЖРК Вардар ŽRK Vardar
Full name	Женски ракометен клуб Вардар Скопје (Ženski rakometen klub Vardar Skopje)
Founded	1961
Arena	Jane Sandanski Arena
Capacity	7,500
President	Gordana Naceva
Head coach	Dragana Pecevska Ristova
League	Skopsko Super League
2018-19	3rd
Club colours
Home Away
Website Official site

History

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.

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. Earlier in 2018 the president of the club, Gordana Naceva, announced the break - up of the team made up from world class players and added that they will focus on young players.

Accomplishments

Domestic competitions

• Macedonian First League:

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

• Macedonian Cup

Winners (6): 1994, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018

European competitions

• EHF Champions League:

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

• Bucharest Trophy:

Third placed: 2015

• Vardar Trophy:

Winners: 2015

Runner-up: 2017

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.

Jane Sandanski Arena

Team

Current squad of the first team

Squad for the 2018–19 season

Goalkeepers 01 Jovana Trajkoska 12 Simona Grujovska 16 Andrea Ilić Right Wingers 28 Sara Minovska 40 Iva Jakovchevska 74 Mirjana Petkovska Left Wingers 08 Stefanija Gjeorgievska 21 Ivona Trpevska 26 Bojana Dinevska Line players 93 Katerina Damjanoska

Left Backs 03 Marija Gocevska 31 Andrea Sedloska 97 Milica Nikolić Central Backs 10 Ana Marija Božinovska 14 Keti Angelovska 23 Angela Grozdanovska 33 Ana Marija Kolarovska 51 Marija Galevska Right Backs 24 Angela Kostović

Staff

Professional staff Position Name Head coach Dragana Pecevska Ristova Assistant coach Biljana Crvenkoska Goalkeeping coach Aleksandar Carchev Conditioning coach Marija Lojanica Physiotherapists Bojana Božinovska

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

Former club members

Notable former players

Julija Nikolić Marija Shteriova Dragana Pecevska Biljana Crvenkoska Andrea Beleska Ivana Sazdovski Robertina Mečevska Dragana Petkovska Sara Ristovska Mirjeta Bajramoska Teodora Keramičieva Ivana Gakidova Simona Stojanovska Sara Mitova Jovana Micevska Leonida Gičevska Jovana Sazdovska

Inna Suslina Polina Kuznetsova Tatiana Khmyrova Olga Chernoivanenko Nigina Saidova Ekaterina Kostyukova Alena Ikhneva Andrea Lekić Dragana Cvijić Marija Petrović Sanja Damnjanović Marija Lojpur Marina Dmitrović Andrea Klikovac Jovanka Radičević Ana Đokić Itana Grbić

Allison Pineau Siraba Dembele Amandine Leynaud Alexandra Lacrabère Andrea Penezić Andrea Čanađija Maja Sokać Barbara Lazović Tamara Mavsar Dayane Pires da Rocha Mayssa Pessoa Begoña Fernández Dziyana Ilyina Anja Althaus Camilla Herrem

Notable former coaches

• Indira Kastratović
• Ace Stankovski
• Sime Simovski
• Jan Pytlick
• Kim Rasmussen
• David Davis
• Roberto García Parrondo
• Eduard Koksharov
• Irina Dibirova

Kit manufacturers

• Hummel International

European competitions record

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

EHF Cup Season Round Club 1st leg 2nd leg Aggregate 2002–03 R2 Duvanska Industrija Nis 11–45 14–33 25–78 2003–04 R2 O.F.N. Ionias 21–28 12–30 33–58 2011–12 R32 Békéscsabai ENKSE 20–39 20–40 40–79 2012–13 2Q Patras 28–19 27–16 55–35 R16 Kuban Krasnodar 30–28 17–22 47–50 Challenge Cup Season Round Club 1st leg 2nd leg Aggregate 1999–00 1/16 Eastcon AG Vilnius 15–35 13–35 28–70 1994–95 1/16 ATV Basel 24–16 23–23 47–39 1/8 TV Mainzlar 20–31 24–24 44–54 1995–96 1/16 Austria Tabak 15–24 11–21 26–45 2001–02 R3 RK Skopje 18–20 16–14 34–34 R4 CD Gil Eanes-Lagos 13–25 31–26 44–51 2008–09 R3 Cankaya Beld 30–33 32–32 52–55 Regional Handball League Season Round Club 1st leg 2nd leg Placement 2012-13 MR ŽRK Zaječar 25–28 32–29 5th ŽORK Jagodina 36–26 24–22 Budućnost 21–26 21–41 ŽRK Biseri Pljevlja 31–24 37–20 RK Lokomotiva Zagreb 21–23 25–28 Podravka Koprivnica 23–25 22–25 ŽRK Metalurg 16–25 14–23 2013-14 MR ŽRK Danilovgrad 33–13 25–16 2nd Budućnost 20–24 28–32 RK Krim 26–22 CAN RK Zagorje 35–27 33–22 RK Lokomotiva Zagreb 16–14 21–25 Podravka Koprivnica 28–28 29–24 ŽRK Metalurg 35–26 29–22 2016-17 MR Budućnost 29–30 28–27 1st Podravka Koprivnica 30–19 35–18 RK Krim 38–29 27–26 SF Podravka Koprivnica 29–16 F Budućnost 27–25 2017-18 MR Budućnost 24–22 31–24 27–26 21–20 25–25 1st 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	Dunaújvárosi KKA	20–28	15–30	35–58

Challenge Cup

Season	Round	Club	1st leg	2nd leg	Aggregate
2015–16	R3	London Angels HC	27–14	35–17	62–31
	L16	Minaqua Vojvodina	26–24	31–27	57–51
	QF	HC Karpaty Uzhgorod	22–19	17–28	39–47
2016–17	R3	HC Svilengrad-PU	24–17	29–22	53–39
	1/8	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 Andrea Penezić 4 371 2 Andrea Lekić 5 335 3 Jovanka Radičević 5 293 4 Barbara Lazović 4 144 5 Alexandra Lacrabère 2 114 6 Siraba Dembélé 3 113 7 Tatiana Khmyrova 5 105 8 Maja Sokać 3 95 9 Anja Althaus 3 90 10 Dragana Cvijić 1 55

Most appearances in the EHF Champions League As of 2017–18 season Rank Name Seasons Appearances 1 Jovanka Radičević 5 77 2 Amandine Leynaud 5 75 3 Andrea Klikovac 5 74 4 Inna Suslina 5 73 5 Andrea Lekić 5 70 6 Tatiana Khmyrova 5 63 Andrea Penezić 4 63 Barbara Lazović 4 63 9 Siraba Dembélé 3 46 10 Maja Sokać 3 45 Anja Althaus 3 45

Individual awards in the EHF Champions League Season Player Award 2013–14 Ana Đokić All–Star Team (Best Line Player) Jovanka Radičević All–Star Team (Best Right Wing) 2014–15 Andrea Penezić (shared with Cristina Neagu) Top Scorer (102 goals) Siraba Dembélé All–Star Team (Best Left Wing) 2015–16 Jovanka Radičević All–Star Team (Best Right Wing) 2016–17 Andrea Penezić Top Scorer (98 goals) Camilla Herrem All–Star Team (Best Left Wing) 2017–18 Dragana Cvijić All–Star Team (Best Line Player) Amandine Leynaud MVP References External links Official website ŽRK Vardar on Facebook