HC Alkaloid delivered a landmark achievement for Macedonian handball by advancing to the EHF European Cup final, overcoming Norway’s Runar Sandefjord in the second leg following a five-goal victory in Skopje, and ultimately securing their place after winning a penalty shootout (regular time 34:29, penalties 1:3).

As the reigning Macedonian Cup champions, and fielding a squad made up of 95% Macedonian players, HC Alkaloid has secured its shot at a European trophy and will become the fifth club from our country to contest a European title.

Alkaloid’s adversary in the European final will be Greece’s AEK Athens, who ousted Izvidac of Bosnia and Herzegovina in their semifinal tie, with the dates for the Skopje and Athens fixtures to be decided by a forthcoming draw.

Euphoria erupted among the players in Norway following this remarkable feat by the young Alkaloid side, as they—and their “eighth player,” the crowd—celebrated in unison. Hundreds of Macedonian fans, mostly expatriates, gave their support to Alkaloid during the away encounter.

HC RUNAR SANDEFJORD – HC ALKALOID 34-29 (19-15) Penalties: 1-3

Venue: Runarhallen in Sandefjord, Norway. Referees: Francesco Simone and Pietro Monitillo (Italy). Delegate: Hlynur Leifsson (Iceland)

HC RUNAR: Bjønarstad, Tryggestad, Økern, Gurrich 8, Gram, Rambo 6, Haugen 1, Bøe, Lindell 3, Bergli 2, Rivesjø 1, Myklebust 2, Sjursen 1, Knutsen 2, Venemyr 1, Wulvik 7

Seven-meter throws: 2/2 Suspensions: 6 min.

HC ALKALOID: Kizikj, Galevski, Djonov 3, Markoski, Mladenovikj, Serafimov 7, Karasmanakis 1, Stojkovikj 1, Velkovski 4, Simonoski, Ivanovski 4, Bingo, Francisco 1, Petkovski, Mitev 8, Savrevski

Seven-meter throws: 6/7 Suspensions: 8 min.

HC Alkaloid have secured their place in the EHF European Cup final! After defending their five-goal cushion from the first leg in Skopje, Alkaloid held their nerve to win the shootout and eliminate Norway’s Runar Sandefjord.

The 60-minute contest finished 34-29, but Alkaloid’s superior penalty execution (3-1) booked them a showdown with AEK Athens for the coveted trophy.

The two legs of the final are set for May 17/18 and May 24/25.

The hosts burst out of the blocks, racing to a 6-1 lead and setting the scene for a 50-minute fierce battle in which both sides exchanged momentum and tactical blows. The Norwegian side was in control, but HC Alkaloid showed resilience, gradually clawing back to 13-16 before the break, leaving the halftime score at 19-15.

In the second half, HC Alkaloid briefly reduced the gap to two goals, even with an understrength lineup, before the home side pulled clear to seal the 34–29 result.

With the tie deadlocked, the shootout fell in Alkaloid’s favour thereby earning their spot in the grand finale.

HC ALKALOID – HC BUTEL SKOPJE 33-30 (16-13)

Venue: Avtokomanda in Skopje. Referees: Ismail Metalari and Nenad Nikolovski. Delegate: Ljupcho Janevski

HC ALKALOID: Kizikj, Djonov 4, Mladenovikj, Serafimov 11, Karasmanakis, Stojkovikj 1, Gjorgiev 1, Velkovski 2, Ivanovski 2, Bingo 4, Francisco 2, Petkovski 4, Mitev 2, Savrevski, Garbeski

Seven-meter throws: 8/10 Suspensions: 10 min

HC BUTEL SKOPJE: Stojanoski, Blazhevski, Subashevski 1, Todeski 5, Gjeorgievski 2, Nikolov 11, Novakoski, Spasovski 1, T. Uzunchev 1, D. Uzunchev, Milosheski, Kiselovski, Kaevski, Mihajlovikj 4, Solic 3, Davitkovski 1

Seven-meter throws: 1/2  Suspensions: 16 min.

HC Alkaloid earned their third playoff victory in the Macedonian Super League. With only one day’s rest after their EHF European Cup semi-final, they hosted HC Butel Skopje at the Avtokomanda arena and notched a 33-30 win, securing two more hard-fought points in line with expectations given their busy schedule.

Clashes between HC Alkaloid and HC Butel Skopje always carry extra weight and city derby spice, and tonight was no exception. The visitors showed plenty of fight and matched HC Alkaloid on the scoreboard at times, but HC Alkaloid dictated the play for the full 60 minutes, never trailing.

HC Alkaloid led from the outset, though Butel Skopje pegged them back to 9-9. HC Alkaloid then forged ahead 11-9, extended the lead to 12-9 and 13-10, and maintained that three-goal cushion through to halftime.

In the second half, HC Alkaloid opened up a 17-13 advantage, but Butel rallied to level at 17-17.

A goal-for-goal battle ensued until HC Alkaloid again went to three-goal lead at 23-20, and the margin oscillated between two and three goals thereafter.

Both sides had chances—Alkaloid to stretch it to plus four, Butel to cut it to minus one—but fine goalkeeping kept the scoreline in check. In the closing stages HC Alkaloid hit their biggest lead at 33-29, with Butel only able to reduce the deficit before the final whistle.

HC Alkaloid now turn their attention to a European showdown: on Sunday they travel to Norway, armed with a five-goal cushion, for the second leg of their EHF European Cup semi-final against Runar Sandefjord.

HC Alkaloid secured a 42:37 victory over HC Runar Sandefjord in the first leg of the EHF European League semi-final. After the match in Skopje, both coaches and a player from each team shared their thoughts at the post-game press conference.

Kiril Lazarov (HC Alkaloid): “I expected a tough game; we had plenty of material on Runar. They’ve played well all season, both domestically and in the European Cup. We respect them. We won by five goals, but we have seven days to prepare properly for the rematch. I’m sure the return leg will be much harder than this match. Perhaps we deserved the win, but not by five goals—maybe one or two, but no more.”

Ivan Djonov (HC Alkaloid): “I want to congratulate our opponents, Runar. They’re a strong team playing fast handball; it was hard to keep pace with them, but we managed to prevail. They can play well 7-on-6, so we’ll have to prepare thoroughly for the rematch.”

Bjarte Myrhol (HC Runar Sandefjord): “First, congratulations on the match. It unfolded just as we expected. We analysed Alkaloid and knew they play fast handball like us. We struggled defensively to contain their attack. Conceding 42 goals is too many. About going head-to-head with Lazarov, whom I once played alongside, I can say that Kiril has always been one of the smartest players and today he executed a game plan that effectively isolated us. I expected a tactical battle, given what was at stake for both sides. However, in international handball there are many changes, and we saw that he knew how to isolate us and catch us off-guard. It was an honour to play in Skopje against Lazarov and Alkaloid.”

Lars Gurrich (HC Runar Sandefjord): “We played a fast-paced game. Alkaloid managed to isolate us very well. We must improve for the rematch and prepare better.”

The return leg between HC Alkaloid and HC Runar Sandefjord is set for April 27 at 17:00 in Norway, with the Italian refereeing pair Francesco Simone and Pietro Monitillo, and delegate Hlynur Leifsson from Iceland.

HC ALKALOID – RUNAR SANDEFJORD 42-37 (21-20)

Venue: Avtokomanda in Skopje. Referees: Georgios Panayides and Marios Andreou from Cyprus.

Delegate: Vladimir Sokol from Croatia

HC ALKALOID: Kizikj (3 saves), Galevski (4 saves), Djonov 6, Markoski, Mladenovikj, Serafimov 10, Karasmanakis 4, Stojkovikj 4, Gjorgiev 4, Velkovski 2, Ivanovski 3, Bingo 1, Francisco 2, Petkovski 4, Mitev 1, Savrevski

Seven-meter throws: 6/7 Suspensions: 4 min

RUNAR SANDEFJORD: Bjørnstad (2 saves), Tryggestad (6 saves), Økern 1, Gurrich 3, Gram, Rambo 11, Haugen, Bøe, Lindell 3, Bergli, Rivesjö 4, Myklebust 5, Sjursen, Knutsen 7, Venemyr, Wulvik 4

Seven-meter throws: 2/3  Suspensions: 10 min

HC Alkaloid defeated the Norwegian side Runar Sandefjord with 42-37 in the first leg of the EHF European Cup semi-final. The match took place in Skopje, with the return fixture scheduled next week in Norway. The aggregate winner will advance to the grand final of the European competition.

The game between HC Alkaloid and Runar Sandefjord exceeded expectations in intensity and pace, with both teams emphasizing fast-break transitions that produced a high number of attacks and goals. Our side adapted better to the trademark Scandinavian style.

Runar enjoyed a slightly better start and luck early on, as HC Alkaloid struck the framework twice in the opening attacks. This saw the visitors lead 3-1 and then 4-2, but Alkaloid quickly consolidated, scoring twice to level at 4-4 before taking control.

In the ensuing goal-for-goal phase, the visitors resorted to attacking with seven players, further challenging Alkaloid’s defense.

After 20 minutes of play, HC Alkaloid led by three goals (15-12), but the Norwegian side fought back to trail by just one at halftime (21-20).

The visiting side peaked in the 40th minute when they led 29-27. Thereafter, HC Alkaloid ramped up their defense and unleashed a 3-0 mini-run to regain the lead.

On two occasions during the match HC Alkaloid failed to convert opportunities for plus four goals, but they finally achieved it at 36-32 for the first time. A fierce battle then ensued to defend that margin, and when Runar’s 7-on-6 push was punished with an empty-net goal, Alkaloid extended the lead to 41-36. Each team scored once more to complete the final 42-37 scoreline.

Martin Serafimov topped HC Alkaloid with 10 goals, and Ivan Djonov was perfect with seven from seven. Veteran Christoffer Rambo led all scorers with 11 goals.

Next, HC Alkaloid return to domestic action on Tuesday in the Macedonian Super League against HC Butel Skopje, before heading to Norway for the semi-final rematch.

HC Alkaloid is facing a new European challenge! Our team is looking forward to the first match of the semi-final of the EHF European Cup, where we will face HC Runar Sandefjord from Norway. We will play the first match in Skopje, while the second leg is on away soil, and the better of the two matches travels to the grand final.

Before the match, HC Alkaloid held a press conference at which coach Kiril Lazarov and captain Igor Gjorgiev summarized their impressions of the Norwegian handball rival so far and announced the first meeting in Skopje.

Kiril Lazarov: “We are expecting a tough match against a tough opponent. In the past period, we have had quite tough matches, with quality opponents in the league within the play-offs. We have analyzed Runar quite a bit, with a lot of materials. We have a lot of information that shows us that this is a serious team with a Scandinavian style that has not suited us very well throughout history. Runar reached the semi-finals with victories over quality rivals such as Celje, Besiktas and Olympiacos. Runar eliminated all of these opponents that I listed in two matches, so we are expecting a very tough match not only in Skopje, but also in Norway. The placement in the semi-finals with Macedonian forces is certainly a success, I hope that we will have the strength and energy after the tough matches to go out on the field and fight a hard fight for the entire 60 minutes, knowing their style.”

Igor Gjorgjiev: “We are expecting a match of great importance. First European semi-final for us. A big moment for both Alkaloid and Macedonian handball. As a team, we are proud that we managed to qualify for this phase and play for the final. Runar is a team that plays typical fast Scandinavian handball, the first match is at our home ground. That is why I want to call on all handball fans to be our support, our seventh player and fight for a historic moment and a European final. Considering that we have three or four players injured, I as a captain am aware, and so are the players, that we must function as a team. If we continue the way we have been playing so far, we have great chances both in the European Cup and in the league playoffs”

The match between RK Alkaloid and RK Runar Sandefjord will be played at the “Avtokomanda” hall on Sunday (20.4) starting at 19:00. The main judges are Georgios Panayides and Marios Andreou from Cyprus, while the delegate to the competition is Vladimir Sokol from Croatia.