Yugoslav Handball Championship

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The Yugoslav Handball Championship was the highest level competition in men's team handball in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, played regularly for almost four decades between 1953 and 1991, before being abandoned due to the breakup of Yugoslavia.

The first five editions from 1953 to 1957 were decided via a finals play-off tournament contested by clubs who had qualified in regional competitions, before a regular round-robin league format was introduced for the 1957–58 season. The league featured clubs from all of Yugoslavia's federal subjects, with the most successful being RK Bjelovar with 9 titles, followed by RK Borac and RK Metaloplastika with 7 titles each.

Following the dissolution of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s, the competition was eventually succeeded by the following handball leagues:

Winning clubs 1953–91

Season Republic Winning club
1953 Socialist Republic of Croatia CRO RK Medveščak (1)
1954 Socialist Republic of Croatia CRO RK Medveščak (2)
1955 Socialist Republic of Serbia SRB RK Crvena Zvezda (1)
1956 Socialist Republic of Serbia SRB RK Crvena Zvezda (2)
1957 Socialist Republic of Croatia CRO RK Zagreb (1)
1957–58 Socialist Republic of Croatia CRO RK Bjelovar (1)
1958–59 Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina BIH RK Borac (1)
1959–60 Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina BIH RK Borac (2)
1960–61 Socialist Republic of Croatia CRO RK Bjelovar (2)
1961–62 Socialist Republic of Croatia CRO RK Zagreb (2)
1962–63 Socialist Republic of Croatia CRO RK Zagreb (3)
1963–64 Socialist Republic of Croatia CRO RK Medveščak (3)
1964–65 Socialist Republic of Croatia CRO RK Zagreb (4)
1965–66 Socialist Republic of Croatia CRO RK Medveščak (4)
1966–67 Socialist Republic of Croatia CRO RK Bjelovar (3)
1967–68 Socialist Republic of Croatia CRO RK Bjelovar (4)
1968–69 Socialist Republic of Serbia SRB RK Crvenka (1)
1969–70 Socialist Republic of Croatia CRO RK Bjelovar (5)
1970–71 Socialist Republic of Croatia CRO RK Bjelovar (6)
1971–72 Socialist Republic of Croatia CRO RK Bjelovar (7)
1972–73 Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina BIH RK Borac (3)
1973–74 Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina BIH RK Borac (4)
1974–75 Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina BIH RK Borac (5)
1975–76 Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina BIH RK Borac (6)
1976–77 Socialist Republic of Croatia CRO RK Bjelovar (8)
1977–78 Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina BIH RK Željezničar (1)
1978–79 Socialist Republic of Croatia CRO RK Bjelovar (9)
1979–80 Socialist Republic of Slovenia SLO RD Slovan (1)
1980–81 Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina BIH RK Borac (7)
1981–82 Socialist Republic of Serbia SRB RK Metaloplastika (1)
1982–83 Socialist Republic of Serbia SRB RK Metaloplastika (2)
1983–84 Socialist Republic of Serbia SRB RK Metaloplastika (3)
1984–85 Socialist Republic of Serbia SRB RK Metaloplastika (4)
1985–86 Socialist Republic of Serbia SRB RK Metaloplastika (5)
1986–87 Socialist Republic of Serbia SRB RK Metaloplastika (6)
1987–88 Socialist Republic of Serbia SRB RK Metaloplastika (7)
1988–89 Socialist Republic of Croatia CRO RK Zagreb (5)
1989–90 Socialist Republic of Serbia SRB RK Proleter (1)
1990–91 Socialist Republic of Croatia CRO RK Zagreb (6)

Championships by club

Titles Club City Republic Notes
9 RK Bjelovar Bjelovar Socialist Republic of Croatia CRO Formerly known as "RK Partizan" 1955–1991
7 RK Borac Banja Luka Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina BIH
7 RK Metaloplastika Šabac Socialist Republic of Serbia SRB
6 RK Zagreb Zagreb Socialist Republic of Croatia CRO
4 RK Medveščak Zagreb Socialist Republic of Croatia CRO Formerly known as "RK Prvomajska" 1952–1963
2 RK Crvena Zvezda Belgrade Socialist Republic of Serbia SRB
1 RK Crvenka Crvenka Socialist Republic of Serbia SRB
1 RK Željezničar Sarajevo Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina BIH
1 RD Slovan Ljubljana Socialist Republic of Slovenia SLO
1 RK Proleter Zrenjanin Socialist Republic of Serbia SRB

European success

Traditionally one of the strongest handball leagues in Europe, several Yugoslav clubs went on to compete with considerable success in the European Cup (present-day EHF Champions League), the premier continental handball competition. Prior to the breakup of Yugoslavia, six Yugoslav clubs had managed to reach the European finals 11 times, winning four titles.

Club W RU SF Years won Years runners-up Years semi-finalists
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Metaloplastika 2 1 3 1984–85, 1985–86 1983–84 1982–83, 1986–87, 1987–88
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Bjelovar 1 2 2 1971–72 1961–62, 1972–73 1967–68, 1970–71
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Borac Banja Luka 1 1 1975–76 1974–75
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Medveščak 1 1964–65
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Slovan 1 1980–81
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Proleter 1 1990–91
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Crvenka 1 1969–70


Notable clubs

(at least 10 top-flight seasons or at least one title)

 SR Bosnia and Herzegovina
 SR Croatia
 SR Macedonia
 SR Montenegro
 SR Serbia
 SR Slovenia