A great challenge in the anniversary season

It is a perfect coincidence that the qualification for the first-ever group phase of the newly merged Women’s EHF Cup was secured in the year that ÉRD Handball Club celebrates their 40th anniversary. Now, ÉRD aim for more, after the club, based close to the capital Budapest, have made it to the pinnacle of Hungarian women’s handball throughout the previous years.

Since 2012, ÉRD consistently qualified for EHF European Cup competitions, highlighted by reaching the 2014/15 semi-final of the ‘old’ EHF Cup, when they were eliminated from the finals by a team, who they now also face in the group phase: Russian-side Rostov-Don. Additionally, Bietigheim and Byasen are their opponents in Group C.

In qualification this season, ÉRD first ended the hopes of the ambitious French-side Issy, and then eliminated the defending EHF Cup champions and country-fellows, Dunaujvaros, by two clear wins.

“We made it to the group phase despite facing strong teams before; now we have to play against strong opponents. This is a great challenge for our players and a great pleasure for our fans, whose support we count on the future too,” says coach Edina Szabo. According to Szabo, the big favourites for winning the title are Rostov.

The ÉRD squad is quite international, including Brazilian Larissa Araujo (the only newcomer), team captain of the Serbian national team Katarina Krpez-Szlezak, Spanish international Mireya Gonzalez and 2012 EHF EURO Champion Andjela Bulatovic (Montenegro).

“In addition to maintaining a good role in the well-balanced Hungarian league, it is our season’s objective to make it to quarter-final in the EHF Cup,” Szabo adds.

Érd Handball Club (HUN)

Qualification for the 2016/2017 EHF Cup Group Phase: Round 2: 30:26, 29:26 against Issy Paris (FRA), Round 3: 29:22, 31:25 against Dunaujvaros (HUN)

Newcomers: Larissa Araujo (AAU Handebol Concordia)

Left the club: -

Coach: Edina Szabo and Marianne Racz (since 2010)

Team captain: Kinga Janurik

Opponents in the group matches: Rostov, Bietigheim and Byasen in Group C

Past achievements:

EHF  Champions League records:
Qualification: 2013/14

Other EC records:

Cup Winners’ Cup:
quarter-final: 2015/16
Last 16: 2013/14
EHF Cup:
semi-final: 2014/15
EHF Challenge Cup:
-

Hungarian champion:  -
Hungarian cup winner:  -