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Ferencvárosi TC (women's handball)

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For the parent multi-sport club, see Ferencvárosi TC (sports club).

FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria
Full nameFerencvárosi Torna Club
Nickname(s)Fradi
Short nameFTC
Founded1950; 74 years ago (1950)
ArenaElek Gyula Aréna, Budapest
Érd Aréna, Érd
Capacity1,300
2,200
PresidentZsolt Ákos Jeney
Head coachAllan Heine
LeagueNemzeti Bajnokság I
2023–24Nemzeti Bajnokság I, 1st
Club colours   
Team colours
Team colours
Team colours
Team colours
Home
Team colours
Team colours
Team colours
Team colours
Away
Website
Official site
Active departments of FTC
Football
(men's)		Football B
(men's)		Football
(women's)
Handball
(men's)		Handball
(women's)		Water polo
(men's)
Water polo
(women's)		Ice hockey
(men's)		Ice hockey
(women's)
Nine-pin
bowling		CurlingSynchronized
swimming
AthleticsBoxingCanoeing
CyclingGymnasticsFencing
SkatingSwimmingTriathlon
Wrestling
Closed departments of FTC
Basketball
(women's)

Ferencvárosi Torna Club is a Hungarian professional women's handball team from Budapest, that is part of the multi-sports club Ferencvárosi TC. Nicknamed Fradi, the team plays in the Nemzeti Bajnokság I, the top level championship in Hungary. They are one of the most successful clubs in the country, having won eleven Hungarian championships and as many Hungarian cup titles. FTC also enjoy a good reputation in continental competitions: they lifted the EHF Cup Winners' Cup trophy in 1978, 2011,[1] and 2012,[2] and they were also crowned as the EHF Cup winners in 2006.[3] The team also reached the finals of the EHF Champions League two times, however, they fell short in both occasions.

The current name of the club is FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria due to sponsorship reasons.

The First Great Generation

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After the cessation of large-field games in the early 1960s, Ferencváros, which regained its name in the autumn of 1956, focused on small-field handball. Continuous improvement (finishing 9th in 1960, 7th in 1961, 4th in 1962, and 2nd in 1963) made the championship title a feasible goal. Nevertheless, there was a slight decline: the team finished 6th in 1964 and 5th in 1965. In 1966, they won their first championship gold. The team members included Éva Czitkovics, Márta Giba, Erzsébet Huszár, Erzsébet Jányáné Bognár, Ida Nagy, Teréz Nagy, Júlia Pencz, Anna Rothermel, Ilona Ruff, Judit Stern, Ida Szegedi, Gizella Szilágyi, Gáborné Zubor, and Zsuzsa Zsidai, with Gyula Elek as their coach.[4]

In his first year as coach, Gyula Elek won the championship, which was followed by more championship titles and podium finishes. From 1966 to 1980, the team finished on the podium every year. They were champions four times (1966, 1968, 1969, 1971), runners-up seven times (1967, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1978), and third place four times (1974, 1975, 1979, 1980). During this period, the team won the cup four times (1967, 1970, 1972, 1977).[5]

A standout figure of the team was goalkeeper Anna Rothermel Elekné, who was considered the best goalkeeper of her time both domestically and internationally. Thanks to her, Ferencváros conceded the fewest goals in the championships, even when they did not finish in first place.[6]

Among the greats of the era were Márta Giba Takácsné, Erzsébet Bognár Szőkéné, and Magdolna Csiha, who played key roles as prolific scorers. Amália Sterbinszky, who became one of the best Hungarian handball players of the 20th century and played 250 matches for the national team, also started her senior career at Ferencváros.

The 1980s

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The successful series starting with the first championship gold was followed by a decline in the 1980s. The team finished in the middle ranks or lower. The only exception was the 1987 championship when Fradi finished in third place. In this decade, the Hungarian People's Republic Cup brought a silver medal for the team (1985).

Successes of the 1990s

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The foundations of the second golden era were laid by András Németh. Under his leadership, the team achieved its first result in the 1992/93 season, a silver medal. This was followed by gold a year later, so after 23 years, in 1993–94, Ferencváros won the championship again. The champion team of that time included Mária Bregócs, Andrea Farkas, Ágnes Farkas, Adrienne Fiedler, Erika Fiedler, Klára Kertész, Erzsébet Kókai, Beatrix Kökény, Mária Krammer, Gyöngyi Kulcsár, Dóra Lőwy, Rita Menyhárt, Mária Olasz, Beáta Őze, Ildikó Pádár, Margit Pádár, Éva Szarka, Gabriella Takács, Beatrix Tóth, and Hajnalka Vavrik.

The Fradi girls also won the next three championships. The 1994/1995 season was completed with a 100% performance: 30 matches, 30 victories. This successful era lasted for 16 years, with the team finishing first seven times, second four times, and third five times. Cup successes also followed: they won the cup again in 1993, and then in 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2001, and 2003. They also achieved two second places (1998, 1999).

The master of this second golden era was András Németh, from whom legendary players emerged, such as goalkeepers Andrea Farkas and Tímea Sugár, and field players Beatrix Kökény, Ágnes Farkas, Ildikó Pádár, Eszter Siti, Erika Kirsner, Éva Szarka, Beatrix Tóth, Tímea Tóth, and Gabriella Takács.

Between 2007 and 2008, Gyula Zsiga led the team, achieving a bronze medal (2007/2008).

New Era

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From 2008, the team was taken over by Gábor Elek, son of former successful coach Gyula Elek. The rejuvenated team's first success was a silver medal in the 2008/2009 season and a cup silver in 2010. Another podium finish followed in the league, with Ferencváros finishing third in the 2010/2011 season. In the 2014/2015 season, the team reached the Hungarian Cup final and won the Hungarian championship by defeating the Győri Audi ETO KC team twice in the playoffs under Gábor Elek's leadership.[7]

Before the start of the 2016/2017 season, Anikó Kovacsics, who left Győri ETO, national team goalkeeper Blanka Bíró, and World Championship silver medalist Dutch player Danick Snelder joined the team.[8][9] In the Hungarian Cup final in Kecskemét on 2 April 2017, they defeated Győri ETO in a shootout and celebrated cup victory again after fourteen years.[10]

In the 2018/2019 season, the squad included several national team players: Blanka Bíró, Dorottya Faluvégi, Noémi Háfra, Dóra Horváth, Kinga Klivinyi, Katrin Klujber, Anikó Kovacsics, Viktória Lukács, Rea Mészáros, and Nadine Schatzl strengthened the Hungarian women's handball team at this time. The Dutch national team player Danick Snelder, the Spanish national team's key player Nerea Pena, and Montenegrin national team members Bobana Klikovac and Djurdjina Malović were also part of the team.

In the season, Ferencváros finished second in both the Hungarian Cup and the championship and was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the Champions League against the Russian Rostov-Don team.[11][12]

Before the 2020–2021 season, Faluvégi moved to Győr, and Pena was no longer part of the team, but four foreign players who later performed significantly, Emily Bölk, Alicia Stolle, Julia Behnke, and Angela Malestein, joined the team. In the Champions League, the Montenegrin Buducnost Podgorica was the final stop for the team[13] in the round of 16, and they did not reach the final in the Hungarian Cup either. However, in the league, Ferencváros celebrated a championship victory again after six years, the 13th in its history.[14]

In the following two seasons, the team led by Gábor Elek celebrated Hungarian Cup victories. Before the 2022–2023 season, it had been twenty-nine years since the green-white team won the domestic cup series in two consecutive years.[15]


On 7 May 2023, the team reached the Final Four of the Champions League for the first time in its history after defeating the French Metz Handball team 33–26 away, winning 59–58 overall.[16] After the match, it was officially announced that Gábor Elek would leave the team at the end of the season after fifteen seasons.[17] In the Final Four of the Champions League, they first defeated the Danish Team Esbjerg by one goal in a tough match, but in the final, they were defeated by the twice-defending champion Norwegian Vipers Kristiansand, featuring Anna Vjahirjeva, Katrine Lunde, and Markéta Jeřábková, with a score of 28–24.[18]

International Successes

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  • Ferencváros achieved its first major international result in the 1970/71 season when it reached the final of the European Champions Cup. They lost to the Spartak Kiev, which was equal to the then world-leading Soviet team, 11–9 in a close match, thus becoming silver medalists.
  • In the Cup Winners' Cup, however, Ferencváros succeeded: they won the series in the 1977/1978 season. In the final, they defeated the East German team SC Leipzig 18–17 in the Kör Hall. The team also reached the Cup Winners' Cup final in the following year, 1978/1979, but the East German team TSC Berlin celebrated with a 20–15 result.
  • The team added another Cup Winners' Cup silver in 1994 when Walle Bremen proved to be better with a 45–44 aggregate score (23–21 at home, 24–21 away). In the 1995/1996 season, Ferencváros reached the semi-finals in the Champions League and repeated this performance in the following season.
  • In 2001, the team played in the Champions League semi-finals again.
  • In 2002, they almost achieved a miracle against Macedonian Kometal Skopje: after a home victory (27–25), the away match ended 22–26, so Ferencváros finished with a 51–49 aggregate score, earning a silver medal.
  • In the 2004–2005 season, the team reached the top four in the EHF Cup.
  • A year later, they surpassed their performance and won the EHF Cup in the 2005/2006 season. Ferencváros' opponent was the Croatian Podravka from Koprivnica, which they defeated with a 70–68 aggregate score (37–36 and 33–32).
  • In the 2006/2007 season, the team competed in the Cup Winners' Cup again and reached the semi-finals.
  • In the 2010/2011 season of the Cup Winners' Cup, Ferencváros finished first again, defeating strong opponents like Viborg HK and Metz Handball. In the final, Gábor Elek's students defeated the Spanish team C.B. Mar Alicante with a 57:52 aggregate score (34–29 at home, 23–23 away).
  • In the 2011/2012 edition, the girls proved to be unbeatable again, winning the Cup Winners' Cup in 2012 by defeating the Danish star team Viborg both home and away. With this, Gábor Elek not only repeated his father's feat of leading the team to two consecutive KEK finals but surpassed it by winning both finals.
  • FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria reached the top eight teams in the Champions League in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2024, and in the 2022–2023 season, they made it to the Final Four of the competition for the first time in history.

Crest, colours, supporters

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Kit manufacturers and shirt sponsor

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The following table shows in detail Ferencvárosi TC kit manufacturers and shirt sponsors by year:

Period Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor
2004–2005 adidas T-Mobile
2005 Retz Bútor
2006 Retz Bútor / Budapest Bank
2006–2009 Budapest Bank
2009–2010 –
2010 Erima FŐTÁV Zrt. / Jógazdabank
2011 Rail Cargo Hungaria / FŐTÁV Zrt.
2011–2013 Rail Cargo Hungaria
2013–2014 Nike Rail Cargo Hungaria / Aegon
2014– Rail Cargo Hungaria / Aegon / Budapest

Kits

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Sports Hall information

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Home hall: Elek Gyula Aréna

Team

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Current squad

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Squad for the 2024–25 season
Squad information
No. Nat. Player Position Date of birth In Contract until Previous club
3 France Béatrice Edwige Line Player 3 October 1988 2022 2025 Russia Rostov-Don
13 Hungary Kinga Janurik Goalkeeper 6 November 1991 2020 2025 Hungary Érd HC
14 Hungary Anett Kisfaludy Line Player 31 August 1990 2020 2025 Hungary Érd HC
15 Hungary Júlia Hársfalvi Left Wing 12 November 1996 2021 2025 Hungary Siófok KC
16 Hungary Blanka Böde-Bíró Goalkeeper 22 September 1994 2016 2025 Hungary Váci NKSE
20 Germany Emily Bölk Left Back 26 April 1998 2020 2026 Germany Thüringer HC
21 Hungary Gréta Márton Left Wing 3 October 1999 2015 2026 Hungary MTK Budapest
23 Hungary Zsuzsanna Tomori Left Back 18 June 1987 2022 2025 Norway Vipers Kristiansand
26 Netherlands Angela Malestein Right Wing 31 January 1993 2020 2026 Germany SG BBM Bietigheim
42 Hungary Katrin Klujber Right Back 21 April 1999 2018 2026 Hungary Dunaújvárosi KKA
58 Hungary Réka Bordás Line Player 26 August 1997 2023 2024 Hungary Debreceni VSC
72 Serbia Dragana Cvijić Line Player 15 March 1990 2022 2026 Russia CSKA Moscow
77 Serbia Andrea Lekić Centre Back 6 September 1987 2022 2025 Slovenia RK Krim
90 Hungary Szandra Szöllősi-Zácsik Left Back 22 April 1990 2021 2025 Hungary MTK Budapest
91 Hungary Anikó Cirjenics-Kovacsics Centre Back 29 August 1991 2016 2024 Hungary Győri ETO KC

Transfers

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Transfers for the 2025–26 season

Staff members

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  • Denmark Head Coach: Allan Heine
  • Hungary Goalkeeping Coach: Norbert Duleba
  • Hungary Fitness Coach: Tanja Sarenac and Maja Ivanovic
  • Hungary Club Doctor: Attila Pavlik, MD
  • Hungary Physiotherapist: Dorottya Vajay-Gazsó
  • Hungary Technical Manager: György Szász
  • Hungary Technical Director: László Paál

Retired numbers

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Ferencvárosi TC retired numbers
N° Nationality Player Position Tenure
4 Hungary Éva Szarka Right Back 1985–1999
5 Hungary Ildikó Pádár Line Player 1987–2003
8 Hungary Zita Szucsánszki Centre Back 2005–2023
9 Hungary Beatrix Kökény Centre Back 1992–2001

Honours

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Domestic competitions

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Nemzeti Bajnokság I (National Championship of Hungary)

Magyar Kupa (National Cup of Hungary)

  • Winners (15): 1967, 1970, 1972, 1977, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2016–17, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24
  • Finalist (12): 1963, 1973, 1978, 1986, 1997–98, 1998–99, 2006–07, 2009–10, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2018–19

European competitions

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EHF Champions League

  • Runners-up: 1970–71, 2001–02, 2022–23
  • Semi-finalists: 1996, 1997, 2001

EHF Cup Winners' Cup:

EHF Cup:

  • Winners: 2005–06
  • Semi-finalists: 2004–05

EHF Champions Trophy:

  • Third placed: 2002
  • Fourth placed: 2006

Other tournaments

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Recent seasons

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As of 16 June 2023.

In European competition

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Main article: Ferencvárosi TC in European handball
Season Competition Round Club Home Away Aggregate
2024–25 EHF Champions League Group stage
Group A 		France Metz Handball 19–24
Romania CSM București
Slovenia RK Krim Mercator 28–26
Norway Storhamar HE 27–21
Denmark Nykøbing Falster Håndboldklub 31–22
Croatia HC Podravka Vegeta 33–24
Romania Gloria Bistrița-Năsăud 32–28

Former notable players

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Goalkeepers

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Right wings

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Right backs

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Line players

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Central backs

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Left backs

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Left wings

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Others

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Coaching history

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Club name history

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  • ÉDOSZ SE (1950–1951)
  • Budapesti Kinizsi (1951–1956)
  • FTC (1956–1990)
  • Herz-FTC (1990–1993)
  • Spectrum-FTC (1993–1994)
  • FTC-Spectrum (1994–1995)
  • FTC-Polgári Bank (1995–1996)
  • Herz-FTC (1996–2003)
  • FTC (2003–2006)
  • Budapest Bank-FTC (2006–2008)
  • Budapest Bank-FTC-RightPhone (2008–2009)
  • FTC (2009)
  • FTC-Jógazdabank (In 2010, due to the bank's bankruptcy, only for a short time.)[20][21]
  • FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria (2010–)

Ferencvárosi TC II

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Ferencvárosi TC II is the junior team of Ferencvárosi TC women's handball club. They compete in the Nemzeti Bajnokság I/B, the second-tier league in Hungary. Although they play in the same league system as their senior team, rather than a separate league, they are ineligible for promotion to the Nemzeti Bajnokság I, since junior teams cannot play in the same division as their senior side.

References

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  1. ^ "Hungarians celebrate in Spain". European Handball Federation. 15 May 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
  2. ^ "Hungarian triumph in EHF Women's Cup Winners' Cup". European Handball Federation. 13 May 2012. Retrieved 14 May 2012.
  3. ^ "2005/06 Women's EHF Cup Final". European Handball Federation. Retrieved 1 February 2011.
  4. ^ The results of the 1966 women's championship
  5. ^ Hungarian Women's Championship – statistics
  6. ^ The current departments of Fradi: Women's Handball
  7. ^ Elek Gábor: A keret kihozta magából a maximumot, öt szezonból négy sikeres volt, NSO, 2015. május 21.
  8. ^ "Női kézi: Bíró három, Kovacsics két évre írt alá a Fradihoz". 3 March 2016. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
  9. ^ "Világbajnoki ezüstérmessel erősít a Fradi". origo.hu. 22 February 2016. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
  10. ^ "Trónfosztás a Magyar Kupában: az FTC legyőzte a Győri ETO-t!". Nemzeti Sport. 2 April 2017. Retrieved 2 April 2017.
  11. ^ "Női kézi NB I: bebiztosította második helyét az FTC". Nemzeti Sport. 30 April 2019.
  12. ^ "Idén is álom maradt a Fradinak a négyes döntő". Nemzeti Sport. 13 April 2019.
  13. ^ "Kiesett a Fradi a BL-ben". infostart.hu. 13 March 2021.
  14. ^ Az MTK legyőzésével magyar bajnok az FTC-Rail Cargo Hungaria! Nemzeti Sport Online, 2021. május 28.
  15. ^ Óriási csatában legyőzte a Győrt, és megvédte Magyar Kupa-címét az FTC Nemzeti Sport Online, 2023. április 23.
  16. ^ Csoda Metzben, a budapesti négyes döntőben a Ferencváros is! Nemzeti Sport Online, 2023. május 7.
  17. ^ Női kézi: Elek Gábor az idény végén távozik az FTC-től – hivatalos Nemzeti Sport Online, 2023. május 7.
  18. ^ "A nézőcsúcs-beállítás megvolt, az újabb csoda elmaradt: BL-ezüstérmes a Fradi" (in Hungarian). NSO. 4 June 2023.
  19. ^ "Magyar bajnokság NB1 – női" (in Hungarian). kezitortenelem.hu.
  20. ^ Új partnerrel a csúcs felé: FTC-Jógazdabank
  21. ^ "Régi-új néven a Fradi". Archived from the original on 3 February 2011. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
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