RK Metalurg Skopje

RK Metalurg Skopje (HC Metalurg Skopje) (Macedonian: РК Металург Скопје) is a handball club from Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia. They compete in the domestic Macedonian Handball Super League and Champions League.[1]

РК Металург
RK Metalurg
Full nameRakometen klub
Metalurg Skopje
Founded1971 (1971)
ArenaBoris Trajkovski, Skopje
Capacity7,000
PresidentZorica Molkoska Blazhevska
Head coachZoran Kastratović
LeagueVIP Super League
2019–201st not finished
Club colours         
Home
Away
Website
Official site

History

The club was founded in 1971 under patronage of the Skopje steel industry. There, an idea was born to form a team composed of employees that worked in the nearby steel mill. Nikola Bogdanovski accepted the idea after it was reviewed by the board of directors. Thus, RK Metalurg was created. The same concept realized by Bogdanovski continues to live today. At the time, the club didn't even think of playing in any of the European competitions, because they played their best not to be relegated from the first league. It's well worth mentioning that Metalurg in its first official match won against the team of RK Pirin with a score of 22-14. In 1974 the club created a youth team, led by Pustina Krešimir. In the following two decades, this youth team would constitute the core of the club. The first European debut for Metalurg was in 1993, when they played in the EHF City Cup, where their opponent was Belgian HC Herstal Liège. Currently, Metalurg is the best handball club in the country, and in the last five years, they've won the first league championship three times, as well as becoming national cup winners. The team regularly participates in the best European handball competitions and is currently considered as a club - national team. Macedonian national team.[2]

In the 2011-12 season, Metalurg made it to the Last 16 of the EHF Champions League where they lost to Croatia Osiguranje Zagreb.[3] The following season they made history, becoming the first Macedonian men's handball club to reach the EHF Champions League quarterfinals. In the 2013-14 season, they repeated their success by reaching the EHF Champions League quarterfinals for the second time in a row.

In the 2014-2015 season there were misunderstandings in the club and financial problems. At the beginning of November there were misunderstandings between the coach Lino Červar and the players, so they didn't want to play under his command. Because of that they were suspended by the management of the club. They came back so they wouldn't be eliminated from the EHF Champions League. But in the time of the crisis 7 players left the club: Stanić, Kocić, Marsenić, Borozan, Cindrić, Atman, Lipovina. As the crisis continued in 2015, 9 more players left the club: Mojsovski, Jonovski, V.Markoski, N.Markoski, Vugrinec, Mirkulovski, Dimovski, Manaskov, Georgievski. The management of the club decided to temporarily pull the shirt number 13, which in the previous 12 years wore Mirkulovski. In continuation of the season, "Metalurg" continued to play with reserve, mostly made up of young players.

Season 2018-2019 was marked as an Extraordinary . Metulurgs Squad played on 4 fronts with combined team and many new young players . Again Metalurgs youngsters from the youth team of previous seasons proved to be great investment of the club. Although they've finished third in the League and didn't make for the SEHA play offs , they had a great season in the Macedonian Handball Cup 2019 . They've riched all the way to the final 4. In the semis they beat the tough team of HC Butel and they had to face the European Champions Vardar and their Superstars. The final was fantastic ,and Metalurgs players ,played their best game of the season. The thriller match ended with tie 29-29 in a very tight game from begging till the end. It came to the Penalties in the end. Metalurgs goal keeper was fantastic and he saved the crucial PK for a victory 4-3 for his team. Bringing back another CUP title in Metalurgs collection .[4] .

Arena

RK Metalurg Skopje has its own home arena in Avtokomanda with a capacity of 2,000 seats, that is where they play their domestic matches. Before the construction of its sports center, RK Metalurg played their European Cup matches at SRC Kale. In the 2008–09 season, Metalurg started playing the EHF Champions League matches at the Boris Trajkovski arena, where the average attendance was about 5,000 people.

Trajkovski Arena

Trophies


Winners  Gold (10): 1980, 1986, 1992,2006, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012 , 2014 and 2020
Winners Gold (6): 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011 2013 and 2019
Finalist  Silver : 2012
3rd  Bronze : 2013

European record
2005-06 Eight-Finals Last 16
2008-09 Quarter-finals best 8
2009-10 Eight-Finals Last 16
  • EHF Challenge Cup
1993–94 Eight-Finals Last 16
1994–95 Round 2
2001–02 Round 2
  • EHF Cup
2003-04 Round 3
2004-05 Round 3
2007-08 Quarter-finals best 8
2010-11 Eight-Finals best 16
2019-20 play-off
2006–07 group stage
2008–09 group stage
2011–12 Eight-Finals best 16
2012–13 Quarter-finals best 8
2013–14 Quarter-finals best 8
2014–15 group stage
2015–16 group stage
Season Competition Round Club 1st leg 2nd leg Aggregate
2016–17 EHF Champions League Group Stage Montpellier 24–30 18–28 3rd place
Logroño 24–23 25–31
Elverum Håndball 31–26 18–17
HT Tatran Prešov 26–20 22–27
Chekhovskiye Medvedi 31–24 21–25
2017–18 Group stage
2018–19 Group stage

Team

Current squad
Squad for the 2020–21 season

Transfers
Transfers for the 2020–21 season

Staff

Former club members

Notable former players

Notable former coaches

Statistics
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References
  1. "SEHA: Vardar-Metalurg in the Final". Borjan Zafirovski. Retrieved 14 April 2012.
  2. "ИСТОРИЈАТ НА РК МЕТАЛУРГ". Official Website. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
  3. "Croatia Osiguranje Zagreb 26:21 RK Metalurg Skopje". EHF. Retrieved 6 April 2012.
  4. http://rkmetalurg.mk/metalurg-e-noviot-osvojuvach-na-kupot-na-makedonija/
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