History of the Pick Szeged Handball Team

Date of foundation: 16.12.1961. The club was then known as Szegedi Előre.

Founders: Dr. Mihály Bérzi (chief accountant and later vice-director of the Tisza Volán transportation company) and Márton Ludányi (PE teacher, coach of the team from 1983 until 1984).

1962: First year in the local championship. We won first place.

1963: First year in Csongrád County’s championship. We achieved first place again. Thanks to this result the Club qualified to the 2nd division of the Hungarian Championship.

1970: The club was named Szegedi Volán

1976: First year in the 1st division of the Hungarian Championship (The most famous players of the team qualified to the first division were: Béla Oláh, László Skaliczki, József Farkas, Károly Dobó, Sándor Tamás and Sándor Giricz. Coach: Árpad Kővári)

1977: First Hungarian Cup title victory; first match in the Cup Winners’ Cup against Barcelona (ESP)

At that time the team was lead by Ambrus Lele (2005-2010: managing director) and Ferenc Buday (1980-1981; 1998-1999: coach).

1978: EHF Cup Winners’ Cup quarter-final against Anilana Lódz (POL)

1982: Hungarian Cup victory

1983: EHF Cup Winners’ Cup semi-final against SKA Minsk (BLR, then SU)

Hungarian Cup victory

1984: EHF Cup Winners’ Cup semi-final against Slogabosnaprevoz Doboj (BIH, then YUG)

1986: The club was renamed to Tisza Volán

1993: The new name of the club became Pick Szeged after a new major sponsor

fourth Hungarian Cup victory

1994: EHF Cup Winners’ Cup semi-final against Poljot Cheljabinsk (RUS)

1996: City Cup semi-final against BHW Hameln (GER)

We won our first Hungarian Championship title (Members of the team: György Avar, Béla Árvai, Sándor Bajusz, Csaba Bartók, Péter Borsodi, Zoltán Csavar, Dalibor Brajdic, József Dobos, László Dobos, Mátyás Grőber, László Fekete, Róbert Fekete, Richárd Mezei, János Molnár, Péter Nagy, András Oszlánczi, Sándor Radovics. Coach: László Skaliczki)

1997: Champions League quarter-final against FC Barcelona (ESP) in our first ever Champions League season

1998 and 1999: City Cup quarter-final against TuS Nettelstedt (GER)

Our club was the regular 3rd placed team in the Hungarian Championship at the end of the nineties. Young and talented players like László Nagy, Dániel Buday and Balázs Laluska appeared in the team and they performed very well.

2000:  This year our club broke a record: We participated in the most expensive player transfer until that time. FC Barcelona bought László Nagy and he cost 65 million Forints (circa 240 000 Euros). After this year a new era started with arrival of several foreign players. The internationally listed Nikola Eklemovic and Vladan Matic signed up for the Club, later Nenad Puljezevic, Ratko Djurkovic and Danijel Anjelkovic also joined us. All of them became determining players.

2001: EHF Cup quarter-final against CD Bidasoa Irun (ESP)

2003: EHF Cup Winners’ Cup quarter-final against TBV Lemgo (GER)

Thanks to the modification of the Champions League regulations from season 2003/2004 two Hungarian teams could participate. Even though we won silver medal in the Hungarian Championship we had the chance to enter the most prestigious competition of handball.

2004: Champions League quarter-final against Magdeburg (GER)

2006: We won the Hungarian Cup for the fifth time.

2007: Hungarian Championship title with the leadership of Vladan Matic who became head coach from being left wing during that season (Members of the team: Nenad Puljezevic, Csaba Bendó, Ratko Djurkovic, Gábor Herbert, Ferenc Ilyés, Sándor Bajusz, Attila Vadkerti, Gábor Szente, Milorad Krivokapic, Daniel Andjelkovic, Richárd Mezei, Róbert Berta, Norbert Sutka)

2008: We achieved our 6th Hungarian Cup victory.

2005-2008: We got to the last 16 in the Champions League each year.

2009: EHF Cup Winners’ Cup quarter-final against HSG Nordhorn (GER)