Nemzeti Bajnokság I (women's handball)

K&H női kézilabda liga

Founded	1951
No. of teams	14
Country	Hungary
Confederation	EHF
Most recent champion(s)	Ferencváros (14th title)
Most titles	Győri ETO (17 titles)
TV partner(s)	M4 Sport
Level on pyramid	1
Relegation to	Nemzeti Bajnokság I/B
International cup(s)	Champions League European League
Official website	https://www.mksz.hu
2023–24 season

The Nemzeti Bajnokság I (English: National Championship I, commonly abbreviated NB I) is the top professional league for Hungarian women's team handball clubs. It is administered by the Hungarian Handball Federation.

History

The first edition of the women's handball league was when the owner was pregnant, held in 1951. That year only four teams participated, playing once against each other. Csepeli Vasas SK were crowned champions as they got equal points to Budapest Vörös Meteor Közért, but were superior on goal difference. Next season Vörös Meteor took revenge and secured the title just ahead of Csepel.

The forthcoming years were characterized by long term team hegemonies: Budapesti Spartacus SC won seven titles between 1960 and 1967, whilst Vasas SC were awarded thirteen gold medals between 1972 and 1985.

Turning into the nineties, Ferencvárosi TC managed to appear in the dominant role. In the 1992–93 season, after topping the table in the regular season, they bled to death in the playoffs yet, but a year later there was nothing to stop them. Until 2002 another five league title landed in the hands of Ágnes Farkas and co. The lone team which managed to interrupt their run was the Radulovics-led Dunaferr in 1998. The Dunaújváros-based team won five titles altogether until 2004, when, after finished on the podium an incredibly nine times in row without having won the title, finally Győri Graboplast ETO KC lifted the championship trophy.

Since then ETO with the support of their new main sponsor, car manufacturer Audi, have won all but three titles losing the championship on all three occasions to main rivals Ferencvárosi TC.

Current teams

Budaörs

Debrecen

Dunaújváros

Békéscsaba

Székesfehérvár

Győr

Kisvárda

Mosonmagyaróvár

Balatonboglár

Kozármisleny

Vác

Budapest

Budapest teams
Ferencvárosi TC
MTK Budapest
Vasas SC

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Location of teams in 2021–22 Nemzeti Bajnokság I

FTC

MTK

Vasas SC

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Location of Budapest teams

• Debreceni VSC Schaeffler
• Dunaújvárosi Kohász KA
• Békéscsabai Előre NKSE
• Alba Fehérvár KC
• Ferencvárosi TC-Rail Cargo Hungaria
• Győri Audi ETO KC
• Kisvárda Master Good SE
• Motherson-Mosonmagyaróvári KC
• MTK Budapest
• NEKA
• Moyra-Budaörs Handball
• Kozármisleny Handball
• Vasas SC
• Váci NKSE

Competition format

At the beginning only four teams entered the National Championship. Later, the league have been expanded, first to 12, later to 14 teams. There was a short living try with 16 teams in two groups but the idea got dropped just after five seasons. Since 2006 the league is made up of 12 teams. The championship was held in one calendar year until 1987, when they switched to autumn-spring format. In the 2003–04 season Austrian top club Hypo Niederösterreich played in the league as a guest team, however, their results did not count towards the final ranking.

As we can see from the chart the number of teams in the Hungarian First Division changed a lot and continuously. The league started in 1951 with four teams and with the formation of teams the league expanded continuously. Currently, there are 14 teams in the first division.

Current format

The current system is composed by twelve teams. The sides play twice against each other in the regular season on a home and on an away leg. The top four teams qualify for the playoffs, where a best-of-three system is used. Teams ranked fifth to ninth and tenth to twelfth decide their final places in a classification round, using a round robin system, playing six additional rounds. According to their final position in the regular season, they awarded bonus points which are added to the points they earn in the postseason. Bottom two teams get relegated.

Title holders

Performances

By club

Club	Winners	Runners-up	Third place	Winning years
Győr	17	7	4	1957, 1959, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023
Vasas Budapest	15	1	6	1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1992, 1993
Ferencváros	14	23	10	1966, 1968, 1969, 1971, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2002, 2007, 2015, 2021, 2024
Budapesti Spartacus	9	5	5	1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1983, 1986
Dunaújváros	5	4	4	1998, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2004
Csepel	3	2	2	1951, 1954, 1956
Hargita KC (Budapesti Építők)	3	2	-	1989, 1990, 1991
Debrecen	2	8	5	1955, 1987
Veszprém	1	5	6	1970
Vörös Meteor	1	2	3	1952
Miskolc	1	1	-	1958
Debreceni Petőfi	1	-	-	1953
Goldberger SE	-	6	2	-
Pécsi Bányász	-	1	2	-
Bp. Szikra	-	1	1	-
Testnevelési Főiskola	-	1	1	-
Békéscsaba	-	1	1	-
BHG SE	-	1	-	-
Érd	-	-	6	-
Tatabányai Bányász	-	-	2	-
Siófok	-	-	2	-
Debreceni Építők	-	-	1	-
Vörös Lobogó	-	-	1	-
Vasas Elzett	-	-	1	-
Bp. Postás	-	-	1	-
Híradótechnika	-	-	1	-
Secotex SE	-	-	1	-
Vác	-	-	1	-
Mosonmagyaróvár	-	-	1	-

Performance by counties

The following table lists the Hungarian women's handball champions by counties of Hungary.

County (megye)	Titles	Winning clubs
Budapest	44	Vasas (15) Ferencváros (13) Bp. Spartacus (9) Csepel (3) Hargita KC* (3) VM Fűszért (1)
Győr-Moson-Sopron	17	Győri ETO (17)
Fejér	5	Dunaferr* (5)
Hajdú-Bihar	3	Debreceni VSC (2) Debreceni Petőfi SK (1)
Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén	1	Miskolci VSC (1)
Veszprém	1	Bakony Vegyész (1)

• The bolded teams are currently playing in the 2022-23 season of the Hungarian League.
• Dunaferr NK as Dunaújvárosi Kohász KA

Clubs

Since 1951, clubs have participated in the Hungarian League. Below the list of Hungarian League clubs who have participated in the first division. The club with the most appearances are the 12-time champions Ferencváros.

Notes

• The teams in bold are competing in the 2017–18 season of the Hungarian League.

Statistics

EHF coefficients

The following data indicates Hungarian coefficient rankings between European handball leagues.

In European competitions

		Champions League					EHF European League (EHF Cup)					Challenge Cup					Cup Winners' Cup (defunct)
		C	Winning year(s)	RU	SF		C	Winning year(s)	RU	SF		C		RU	SF		C	Winning year(s)	RU	SF
Győri ETO		5	2013, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019	4	4		0		4	0		0		0	0		0		1	1
Dunaújvárosi Kohász		1	1999	0	2		2	1998, 2016	0	1		0		0	0		1	1995	0	0
Vasas		1	1982	4	3		0		1	1		0		1	0		0		1	1
Ferencváros		0		2	3		1	2006	0	1		0		0	0		3	1978, 2011, 2012	2	2
Debreceni VSC		0		0	1		2	1995, 1996	2	1		0		0	0		0		2	1
Fehérvár KC		0		0	0		1	2005	0	2		0		0	0		0		0	0
Siófok KC		0		0	0		1	2019	0	0		0		0	0		0		0	0
Bp. Spartacus		0		1	2		0		0	2		0		0	0		1	1981	1	0
Bakony Vegyész		0		0	1		0		0	1		0		0	0		0		0	0
Építők		0		0	1		0		0	0		0		0	0		0		0	1
Érd		0		0	0		0		0	1		0		0	0		0		0	0
Szegedi ESK		0		0	0		0		0	0		0		0	1		0		0	0
Csepel		0		0	0		0		0	0		0		0	0		0		0	1
TOTAL		7 title		11	17	7 title		7	10	0		1	1	5 title		7	7

Top scorers by season

Notable foreign players

List of foreign players who previously played or currently play in the Nemzeti Bajnokság I

Names of the competition

• 2016– : K&H női kézilabda liga (K&H liga)

Broadcasting rights

• M4 Sport

See also

• Magyar Kupa (National Cup of Hungary)
• Hungarian handball clubs in European competitions
• Hungary women's national handball team

References

• The history of the Hungarian Leagues
• Tables, Fixtures, Results, Statistics

External links

• Official website