Saint-Raphaël Var Handball, is a

team handball Handball (also known as team handball, European handball, Olympic handball or indoor handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a Handball goalkeeper, goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands ...

club from

Saint-Raphaël, Var Saint-Raphaël (; ) is a commune in the Var department, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, Southeastern France. Immediately to the west of Saint-Raphaël lies a larger and older town, Fréjus; together they form an urban agglomeration known ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, that plays in the

LNH Division 1 LNH Division 1, doing business as Starligue and currently known as Liqui Moly Starligue for sponsorship reasons, is the premier men's professional handball league in France. It is administered by the Ligue Nationale de Handball, under delegatio ...

. Saint-Raphaël Var handball, or SRVHB, is a French handball club based in Saint-Raphael in the Var region, founded in 1963. The first team has been playing in Division 1 since the 2007–2008 season and has been coached since 2019 by Rareș Fortuneanu assisted by Wissem Hmam, both former players of the club. Even if the club has not won a title, apart from the French D2 Championship in 2007, it has accumulated places of honor including a French runner-up title in 2016, three League Cup finals, a Champions Trophy final in 2015 and an EHF European Cup (C3) final in 2018.

History

The original club was founded in 1959. It was after the disaster of the Malpasset dam in Frejus on 2 December 1959 that the leaders of the two cities merged the volleyball sections of the football clubs of the two cities, the Etoile Sportive Fréjussienne and the Stade Raphaélois to create the Association Sportive Fréjus Saint-Raphaël, commonly known as ASFSR. It was in 1963, at the initiative of René Cenni, that the handball section was born. Marcel Tafani was then appointed president of the section. In 1971, the handball section created a women's team and found a home in a sports hall inaugurated on 7 November 1972 during a match against Draguignan: the Esterel sports hall. In 1974, the town of Fréjus created the AMSLF. The Raphael section, freshly promoted to National 3, was destabilized by the loss of many elements and went down to the regional championship the following year. Three years later, in 1977, the club lost its inter-municipal status. It lost its "F" and became A. S. S. R. for Association Sportive Saint-Raphaël. Over time, the club grew and evolved. It reached the National 3 level in 1983, National 2 in 1992 and National 1 in 1994. In 1995, the section separated from the communal club and the club was created under the name Saint-Raphaël Var Handball. The club finally reached the elite in 2004 but was relegated the following season to D2. The Palais des sports Jean-François-Krakowski was inaugurated in 2005 during a gala match against Chambéry. The club returned to the LNH two years later, in 2007, after winning the D2 championship. Since his return in elite, coach Christian Gaudin has made the club one of the best in France, finishing 4th in 2010 and 2011 and 3rd in 2012. The club also reached the League Cup final three times (2010, 2012 and 2014), losing three times to Montpellier AHB. On March 18, 2014, the club's president announced, a year in advance, the end of Christian Gaudin's contract. He was replaced by Joël da Silva, from Toulouse, who allowed the club to reach a new level by returning to 3rd place in 2015 and becoming vice-champion of France in 2016. Under his orders, the club also reached the final of the EHF European Cup in 2018. With his contract set to expire in June 2019, Joel Da Silva has been replaced by his assistant Rareș Fortuneanu as coach. The former Romanian international, who played for Saint-Raphaël, has been assistant coach for the last 4 seasons. His assistant, Wissem Hmam also knew the SRVHB as a player. In October 2020, Jean-François Krakowski decided to retire after 33 years at the head of the club and was replaced by Emmanuel Murzereau.

Prize list

Season by season review (from 2001)

European record

Evolution of the SRVHB budget

Current squad

Squad of 2023-2024 season

;Goalkeepers * 1 Rangel da Rosa * 16 Mickaël Robin ;Wingers ;LW * 20

Raphaël Caucheteux Raphaël Caucheteux (born 9 May 1985) is a French handball player for Saint-Raphaël Var Handball and the French national team. He has played for Saint-Raphaël Var Handball since 2007, where he joined from Montpellier Handball. He was part ...

* 97 Drevy Paschal ;RW * 10 Martial Caïs * 24 Arthur Vigneron ;Line players * 8 Jonathan Mapu * 36 Johannes Marescot * 66 Antoine-Xavier Armani ;Back players ;LB * 15 Nik Henigman * 17 Benjamin Bataille * 22 Noah Kouadio ;CB * 5 Mihailo Vojinovic * 9

Chema Márquez José María Márquez Coloma, better known as Chema Márquez (born 20 December 1996) is a Spanish handball player for the French club Saint-Raphaël Var Handball and the Spanish national team. In 2022, he won silver medals at the European Champ ...

* 28

Sergio Pérez Manzanares Sergio may refer to: * Sergio (name), for people with the given name Sergio * Sergio (carbonado), the largest rough diamond ever found * Sergio, the mascot for the Old Orchard Beach Surge baseball team * ''Sergio'', a 2009 documentary film about ...

;RB * 32

Adrien Dipanda Adrien Dipanda (born 3 May 1988) is a French former handball player. He retired after the 2023/2024 season after 12 seasons Saint-Raphaël. He also featured in the French national team. He also played for Montpellier Handball until 2011, where ...

( c) * 93 Mike Brasseleur

Transfers

:''Transfers for the 2024–25 season'' ;Joining ;Leaving *

(RB) (Retires)

Club-related players

In '' 'bold' '', players currently at the club. * Aurélien Abily : from 2009 to 2018. *

Arnór Atlason Arnór Atlason (born 23 July 1984) is an Icelandic retired handball player. He is the current head coach of TTH Holstebro, and assistant coach of the Iceland men's national handball team. Career Arnór proved to be one of the best players in ...

: from 2013 to 2016. *

Xavier Barachet Xavier Barachet (born 19 November 1988) is a French retired handball player, two-time World champion and European champion with the France men's national handball team, French national team. On 1 January 2013, Barachet was made a Knight (Cheval ...

: from 2013 to 2014 since 2017. * Johan Boisedu : from 2007 to 2010. *

: since 2007. *

: since 2012. * Slaviša Đukanović : from 2007 to 2017. * Dan Rares Fortuneanu : from 2004 to 2013. * Christian Gaudin : from 2003 to 2006. *

Wissem Hmam Wissem Hmam (; born 21 April 1981) is a Tunisian handball player. Hmam was ranked as the top scorer in the 2005 World Men's Handball Championship, 2005 World Championship, scoring a total of 81 goals and helping Tunisia reach the semifinals in t ...

: from 2014 to 2018. * David Juříček : from 2011 to 2013. *

Miroslav Jurka Miroslav Jurka (born 7 June 1987) is a Czech handball player for HC Robe Zubří and the Czech national team. He also played for Saint-Raphaël Var Handball Saint-Raphaël Var Handball, is a team handball club from Saint-Raphaël, Var, Franc ...

: from 2013 to 2019. * Nicolas Krakowski : from 2007 to 2021. * Geoffroy Krantz : from 2011 to 2018. * Alexander Lynggaard : from 2013 to 2020. *

Heykel Megannem Heykel Megannem (born 28 February 1977) is a Tunisian handball Handball (also known as team handball, European handball, Olympic handball or indoor handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players a ...

: from 2009 to March 2013. * Nicolas Moretti : from 2007 to 2013. *

Morten Olsen Morten Per Olsen (; born 14 August 1949) is a Danish former Association football, football manager and former player. He was the head coach of the Denmark national football team, Denmark national team for 15 years from 2000 until 2015, guiding ...

: from 2013 to 2015. * Yohann Ploquin : from 2009 to 2013. *

Mihai Popescu Mihai Popescu (born 15 March 1985 in Găești) is a Romanian handballer who plays for Romanian team Potaissa Turda and the Romanian national team. He was given the award of ''Cetățean de onoare'' ("Honorary Citizen") of his hometown Găe� ...

: since 2016. * Daniel Sarmiento Melián : since 2016. *

Alexandru Șimicu Alexandru-Viorel Șimicu (born 8 October 1988 in Timișoara) is a Romanian handballer playing for Saint-Raphaël Var Handball as a left back. Șimicu ranked second in the 2013–14 EHF Cup's top goalscorers list. Achievements * Liga Națională: ...

: since 2015. * Jan Stehlík : from 2009 to 2017. * Arthur Vigneron : since 2012.

Individual distinctions

Top scorers in the history of SRVHB in the league

In '' 'bold' '', players currently at the club. - ‘'updated on April 30, 2020'' -

Gallery

Players

Joël Da Silva et ses joueurs-20160323.jpg , Joël da Silva and his players during a timeout. Slaviša Ðukanovic-20160323 5.jpg , Slaviša Đukanović, last bulwark of defense. Wissem Hmam avec Alexander Lynggaard-20160323.jpg ,

and Alexander Lynggaard. Arnór Atlason-20160323 3.jpg ,

and

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Saint-Raphael Var Handball Handball clubs in France Sport in Var (department) Handball clubs established in 1963 1963 establishments in France