Rukometni Klub Lokomotiva Zagreb (English: Lokomotiva Zagreb Handball Club) is a Croatian professional women's handball club from Zagreb.[1]

RK Lokomotiva Zagreb
Full nameLokomotiva Zagreb
Short nameRukometni klub Lokomotiva Zagreb
(Lokomotiva Zagreb Handball Club)
Founded1949
ArenaDom Sportova
Capacity3,000
Head coachVedran Krkač
LeagueCroatian League
2022–231st
Club colours   
Team colours
Team colours
Team colours
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Home
Team colours
Team colours
Team colours
Team colours
Away
Website
Official site

Lokomotiva was the most successful team in the Yugoslav Championship's early stages, winning eight championships between 1956 and 1970. In 1975, the team reached the final of the European Cup after winning its ninth championship.[2] However, the following fifteen years were unsuccessful, with Radnički Belgrade dominating the championship.[3] The team resurfaced in 1991, winning both the final edition of the Yugoslav Championship and the EHF Cup, its first international trophy, beating Bayer Leverkusen in the final.[4]

Following the breakup of Yugoslavia, Lokomotiva, renamed Kraš Zagreb, won the first edition of the new Croatian League, but the team soon fell second to Podravka Koprivnica. The team's major successes in the 1990s were reaching the Cup Winner's Cup's final in 1996 and 1998.[5] The club reversed to its original name in 2003, and the following seasons marked a timid revival, with Lokomotiva winning the three championship titles and four national cups.

Most recently, Lokomotiva was second in the national championship and won the EHF Challenge Cup in 2017.

Lokomotiva gave eight players of the national team which are surprisingly won the bronze medal at the 2020 European Women's Handball Championship (Lucija Bešen, Dora Kalaus, Larissa Kalaus, Paula Posavec, Stela Posavec, Tena Japundža, Kristina Prkačin and Andrea Šimara). Also the Lokomotiva's coach Nenad Šoštarić was the head coach of the that generation.

Honours

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European record

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Season Competition Round Club 1st leg 2nd leg Aggregate
2016–17 Challenge Cup R3   CS Madeira 29–24 40–21 69–45
1/8   Ardeşen GSK 33–25 24–20 57–45
1/4   Rocasa Gran Canaria ACE 29–24 23–26 52–50
1/2   Virto/Quintus 24–23 27–16 51–39
F   H 65 Höör 23–19 24–21 47–40
2017–18 Challenge Cup R3   UHC Müllner Bau Stockerau 24–19 37–19 61–38
1/8   AC PAOK 37–17 33–20 70–37
1/4   Virto/Quintus 26–17 27–24 53–41
1/2   Rocasa Gran Canaria ACE 26–26 25–25 51–51
2018–19 EHF Cup R1   H 65 Höör 18–22 19–23 37–45
2019–20 Challenge Cup 1/8   SIR 1º de Maio/ADA CJ Barros 33–21 27–16 60–37
1/4   ŽRK Bjelovar 30–23 28–21 58–44
1/2   HC Naisa Niš Cancelled
2020–21 European Cup R3   Alì-Best Espresso Mestrino 30–14 35–18 65–32
1/8   Jomi Salerno 33–22 34–18 67–40
1/4   DHC Slavia Prague 30–25 31–27 61–52
1/2   Yalikavaksports Club 10–0 10–0 20–0
F   CBF Málaga Costa del Sol 28–32 31–28 59–60
2021–22 European League R3   MKS Perla Lublin 25–21 29–27 54–48
Group stage
(Group A)
  Mosonmagyaróvári KC SE 19–22 24–28 4th place
  ESBF Besançon 27–28 26–31
  Sola HK 18–25 25–40
2022–23 EHF Champions League Group stage
Group B
  Győri Audi ETO KC
  Metz Handball
  CS Rapid București
  ŽRK Budućnost Podgorica
  Storhamar HE
  Kastamonu Bld. GSK
  Team Esbjerg

Team

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Current squad

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Squad for the 2023–24 season

Transfers

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Transfers for the 2024–25 season
  Joining

References

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  1. ^ "Teams set for EHF Champions League 2022/23". eurohandball.com. 27 June 2022. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  2. ^ List of finals in the-sports.org
  3. ^ List of champions in the Serbian Handball Federation's website
  4. ^ Results in todor66.com
  5. ^ Profile and record in the European Handball Federation's website
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