Liga Națională (women's handball)
Romanian women's handball league
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Liga Națională is a league of professional women's handball league teams in Romania. Run by the Romanian Handball Federation, the competition is also known as the Liga Florilor MOL and is contested by sixteen teams.
| |
| Founded | 1958 (Handball 11s, 1946) |
|---|---|
| First season | 1958–59 |
| No. of teams | 12 |
| Country |  Romania |
| Confederation | EHF |
Most recent champion | Gloria Bistrița (2025–26) |
| Most titles | SCM Râmnicu Vâlcea (20 titles) |
| Broadcaster | Pro Arena |
| Level on pyramid | 1 |
| Relegation to | Divizia A |
| International cups | Champions League EHF European League |
| Website | frh.ro |
 2025–26 Liga Națională | |
The National Handball League is Romania's top-level domestic women's handball-league club competition. The team with the most Liga Națională championships is SCM Râmnicu Vâlcea with twenty.
The FRH organization also oversees the Divizia A.
The European Handball Federation (EHF) ranks the Liga Națională 3rd in the coefficients of leagues based on performances in European competitions over the past seasons.
Current teams
Teams for season 2025–26
Awards
The Simona Arghir-Sandu Trophy is awarded annually to the leading goal scorer in the Liga Națională (LNHF). It is named in honour of right back Simona Arghir-Sandu.[1]
List of champions
1946–1963 (11 players)
| Season | Winning coach |  Gold |
 Silver |
 Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1946 | Bruno Holzträger | Karres Mediaş | SG Sighișoara | |
| 1947 | Bruno Holzträger | Derubau Mediaş | Voinţa Sighișoara | |
| 1948 | IRTI Mediaş | Voinţa Mediaş | Avântul Agnita | |
| 1949 | Bruno Holzträger | Record Mediaş | CFR Sighișoara | CSU București |
| 1950 | Wilhelm Lapka | Flamura Roşie Mediaş | CSU București | Flamura Roşie ILSA Timişoara |
| 1951 | Bruno Holzträger | Flamura Roşie Mediaş | Spartak Sighișoara | Știința ICF București |
| 1952 | Ioan Kunst-Ghermănescu | Știința ICF București | Spartak Sighișoara | Știința Timișoara |
| 1953 | Walter Meither | Știința Timișoara | Știința ICF București | Progresul Învățământ București |
| 1954 | Árpád Kameniczki | Progresul Târgu Mureș | Progresul Brașov | Știința Timișoara |
| 1955 | Árpád Kameniczki | Progresul Târgu Mureș | Știința ICF București | Progresul Brașov |
| 1956 | Dumitru Popescu-Colibași | Progresul Brașov | Flamura Roşie București | Flamura Roşie Sibiu |
| 1957 | Constantin Popescu-Pilică | Steagul Roşu București | Progresul MIC București | Progresul Brașov |
| 1957–58 | Constantin Popescu-Pilică | Steagul Roşu București | Olimpia București | Flamura Roşie Sibiu |
| 1958–59 | Gabriel Zugrăvescu | Olimpia București | Progresul București | Mureșul Târgu Mureș |
| 1959–60 | Valeriu Gogâltan | Știința București | Rapid București | Știința Timișoara |
| 1960–61 | Gabriel Zugrăvescu | Rapid București | Progresul București | Mureșul Târgu Mureș |
| 1961–62 | Constantin Popescu-Pilică | Progresul București | Minerul Vulcan | CSȘ Cluj-Napoca |
| 1962–63 | Ioan Bota | Știința București | Rapid București | Progresul București |
1958–present (7 players)
Results by teams
7 players
| Teams | Winners | Winning seasons |
|---|---|---|
| SCM Râmnicu Vâlcea | 20 |
1988–89, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–00, 2001–02, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2018–19 |
| Universitatea Timișoara | 10 |
1963–64, 1965–66, 1967–68, 1968–69, 1969–70, 1971–72, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1976–77, 1977–78 |
| Știința Bacău | 9 |
1978–79, 1979–80, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1991–92 |
| CSM București | 8 |
2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2020–21, 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25 |
| Rapid București | 6 |
1960–61, 1961–62, 1962–63, 1966–67, 2002–03, 2021–22 |
| HC Zalău | 3 |
2000–01, 2003–04, 2004–05 |
| Universitatea București | 3 |
1959–60, 1964–65, 1970–71 |
| Corona Brașov | 2 |
1980–81, 2005–06 |
| IEFS București | 2 |
1972–73, 1973–74 |
| Gloria Bistrița | 1 |
2025–26 |
| Minaur Baia Mare | 1 |
2013–14 |
| Mureșul Târgu Mureș | 1 |
1987–88 |
| Progresul București | 1 |
1958–59 |
11 players
| Teams | Winners | Winning seasons |
|---|---|---|
| Flamura Roşie Mediaş | 6 |
1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950, 1951 |
| Știința București | 3 |
1952, 1960, 1963 |
| Progresul Târgu Mureș | 2 |
1959, 1955 |
| Steagul Roșu București | 2 |
1957, 1958 |
| Progresul București | 1 |
1962 |
| Rapid București | 1 |
1961 |
| Olimpia București | 1 |
1959 |
| Progresul Brașov | 1 |
1956 |
| Știința Timișoara | 1 |
1953 |
EHF league coefficients
EHF league ranking
EHF League Ranking for 2022/23 season:[2]
- 1.
(1) 
Nemzeti Bajnokság I (157.67) - 2.
(5) 
Ligue Butagaz Énergie (118.50) - 3.
(2) 
Russian Superleague (114.50) - 4. (3)
Bambusa Kvindeligaen (109.00) - 5. (6)
REMA 1000-ligaen (102.77) - 6. (4)
Liga Națională (94.50)
Notable foreign players
- Angola
Azenaide Carlos- Albertina Kassoma
- Liliana Venâncio
- Magda Cazanga
- Ruth João
- Wuta Dombaxe
- Natália Kamalandua
- Belarus
- Brazil
Eduarda Amorim- Alexandra do Nascimento
- Bárbara Arenhart
- Ana Paula Rodrigues-Belo
- Mayssa Pessoa
- Deonise Cavaleiro-Fachinello
- Fernanda da Silva
- Samara da Silva
- Larissa Araújo
- Mariana Costa
- Jéssica Quintino
- Francielle da Rocha
- Elaine Gomes
- Karoline de Souza
- Giulia Guarieiro
- Renata Arruda
- Bulgaria
- Czech Republic
Helena Ryšánková- Charlotte Cholevova
- Croatia
Jelena Grubišić- Sanela Knezović
- Lidija Horvat
- Katarina Ježić
- Valentina Blažević
- Ivana Kapitanović
- Kristina Prkačin
- Katarina Pavlović
- Dejana Milosavljević
- Denmark
- Maria Stokholm
- Line Jørgensen
- Trine Østergaard
- Simone Böhme
- Ann Grete Nørgaard
- Ida-Marie Dahl
- Mathilde Neesgaard
- Fie Woller
- Trine Østergaard
- Emma Friis
- Anne Mette Hansen
- France
- Amandine Leynaud
- Allison Pineau
- Camille Ayglon-Saurina
- Siraba Dembélé-Pavlović
- Grâce Zaadi
- Laura Glauser
- Kalidiatou Niakaté
- Alexandra Lacrabère
- Orlane Kanor
- Gnonsiane Niombla
- Laurisa Landre
- Julie Foggea
- Laura Flippes
- Alicia Toublanc
- Germany
- Hungary
- Gabriella Juhász
- Gabriella Szűcs
- Dorina Korsós
- Rita Borbás
- Tamara Pál
- Nikolett Papp
- Asma Elghaoui
- Zsanett Borbély
- Fanni Kenyeres
- Japan
- Montenegro
Katarina Bulatović- Jovanka Radičević
- Majda Mehmedović
- Marija Jovanović
- Itana Grbić
- Andrea Klikovac
- Dijana Ujkić
- Bobana Klikovac
- Ljubica Nenezić
- Marta Batinović-Žderić
- Ema Ramusović
- Dijana Mugoša
- Nina Bulatović
- Marina Rajčić
- Netherlands
- North Macedonia
Marija Shteriova- Leonida Gichevska
- Elena Livrinikj
- Jovana Sazdovska
- Elena Gjeorgjievska
- Jovana Micevska
- Norway
- Nora Mørk
- Camilla Herrem
- Marit Malm Frafjord
- Emilie Hegh Arntzen
- Malin Aune
- Marie Davidsen
- Amanda Kurtović
- Maren Nyland Aardahl
- Hege Løken
- Ane Eidem
- Vilde Ingstad
- Anniken Wollik
- Kristina Novak
- Tuva Høve
- Karoline Lund
- Line Ellertsen
- Mina Hesselberg
- Poland
- Russia
- Emiliya Turey
- Yulia Managarova
- Kseniya Makeyeva
- Ekaterina Gaiduk
- Ekaterina Vetkova
- Regina Kalinichenko
- Ekaterina Matlashova
- Yulia Khavronina
- Olga Gorshenina
- Elena Utkina
- Marina Sudakova
- Kira Trusova
- Senegal
- Serbia
Andrea Lekić- Dragana Cvijić
- Kristina Liščević
- Željka Nikolić
- Jelena Trifunović
- Jelena Lavko
- Marina Dmitrović
- Jovana Kovačević
- Dijana Radojević
- Katarina Krpež Šlezak
- Aleksandra Vukajlović
- Jovana Risović
- Sanja Vujović
- Slovenia
- South Korea
- Spain
Carmen Martín- Alexandrina Cabral
- Silvia Navarro
- Marta López
- Alicia Fernández
- Mireya González
- Darly Zogbi de Paula
- Almudena Rodríguez
- Ainhoa Hernández
- Jennifer Gutiérrez Bermejo
- Irene Espínola
- Alba Spugnini
- Lara González Ortega
- Darly de Paula
- Sweden
Isabelle Gulldén- Linnea Torstenson
- Nathalie Hagman
- Sabina Jacobsen
- Linn Blohm
- Filippa Idéhn
- Mikaela Mässing
- Evelina Eriksson
- Daniela de Jong
- Elin Hansson
- Amelia Lundbäck
- Ukraine
Anastasiia Pidpalova- Iryna Glibko
- Iaroslava Burlachenko
- Nataliya Savchyn
- Iryna Shutska
- Viktoriya Tymoshenkova
- Tamara Smbatian
- Tunisia
- Turkey
Notable foreign coaches
- Anja Andersen
- Mette Klit
- Kim Rasmussen
- Helle Thomsen
- Jakob Vestergaard
- Magnus Johansson
- Per Johansson
- Tomas Ryde
Herbert Müller- Péter Kovács
- Carlos Viver
- Bent Dahl
Rivalries in Romanian women's handball
CSM București vs Rapid București rivalry
The rivalry between CSM București and CS Rapid București is one of the main Bucharest derbies in Romanian women's handball. The two clubs have met in domestic competitions, including the Liga Națională, Cupa României and Supercupa României, as well as in the EHF Champions League Women. The rivalry gained European importance in the 2024–25 Women's EHF Champions League, when CSM București and CS Rapid București met in the play-offs. CSM București won both legs and advanced 62–46 on aggregate.
| Season | Competition | Date | Home team | Score | Away team | Venue | City | Winner | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015–16 | Liga Națională | To be confirmed | CS Rapid București | 18–36 | CSM București | Bucharest | CSM București | [citation needed] | |
| 2020–21 | Cupa României | 28 August 2021 | CS Rapid București | 25–31 | CSM București | Sala Polivalentă | Brăila | CSM București | [citation needed] |
| 2021–22 | Supercupa României | 23 August 2022 | CS Rapid București | 26–28 | CSM București | CSM București | [3] | ||
| 2022–23 | Liga Florilor | 28 August 2022 | CS Rapid București | 31–31 | CSM București | Sala Rapid | Bucharest | Draw | [4] |
| 2022–23 | Liga Florilor | To be confirmed | CSM București | 27–26 | CS Rapid București | Sala Polivalentă | Bucharest | CSM București | [5] |
| 2022–23 | Cupa României | 20 February 2023 | CSM București | 31–24 | CS Rapid București | Sala Polivalentă | Bucharest | CSM București | [6] |
| 2023–24 | Supercupa României | 27 August 2023 | CSM București | 31–22 | CS Rapid București | Pitești Arena | Pitești | CSM București | [7] |
| 2023–24 | Liga Florilor | 13 September 2023 | CSM București | 25–21 | CS Rapid București | Sala Polivalentă | Bucharest | CSM București | [8] |
| 2023–24 | Liga Florilor | 7 February 2024 | CS Rapid București | 30–28 | CSM București | Sala Rapid | Bucharest | CS Rapid București | [9] |
| 2023–24 | Cupa României | 20 April 2024 | CSM București | 27–23 | CS Rapid București | Sala Polivalentă Danubius | Brăila | CSM București | [10] |
| 2024–25 | Liga Florilor | 16 October 2024 | CSM București | 29–24 | CS Rapid București | Sala Polivalentă | Bucharest | CSM București | [11] |
| 2024–25 | EHF Champions League Women | 22 March 2025 | CS Rapid București | 24–34 | CSM București | Sala Rapid | Bucharest | CSM București | [12] |
| 2024–25 | Liga Florilor | 26 March 2025 | CS Rapid București | 25–26 | CSM București | Sala Rapid | Bucharest | CSM București | [13] |
| 2024–25 | EHF Champions League Women | 29 March 2025 | CSM București | 28–22 | CS Rapid București | Bucharest | CSM București | [14] | |
| 2024–25 | EHF Champions League Women | Play-offs | CSM București | 62–46 | CS Rapid București | Aggregate | — | CSM București advanced | [15] |
| 2025–26 | Liga Florilor | 1 October 2025 | CS Rapid București | 27–32 | CSM București | Sala Rapid | Bucharest | CSM București | [16] |
| 2025–26 | Liga Florilor | 18 February 2026 | CSM București | 33–22 | CS Rapid București | Sala Apollo | Bucharest | CSM București | [17] |