The South East Handball Association League, or simply the SEHA League, was a regional men's club handball league in Southeast Europe, featuring teams from Croatia, Hungary, North Macedonia, Serbia and Slovakia in its final West season. Due to sponsorship reasons, the league was also known as the Gazprom League (or the Gazprom South Stream League earlier). The league exists alongside scaled-down national leagues of the participating nations and all of SEHA League teams join their respective country's own competitions in late spring after the SEHA League regular season and post-season have been completed. 2011–12 was the first season of the competition, with Vardar from Skopje becoming the first champions.
History of the league
The initiative for establishing the regional South-East European handball league was presented during the first half of 2011. After the idea of forming a Regional Sparkasse League failed, during July 2011 it was agreed that the first season of the SEHA League would start in September of the same year. In the first season of SEHA League, 12 clubs took part, but their number reduced during the following years. In the 2020–21 season, there are 10 clubs from 7 countries.
The league is based on a regular season and the Final Four, in which the four best placed clubs from the regular season participate. The most successful participants of the SEHA League during its first eight seasons is Vardar with five titles. Vardar became the first team with more than one title when it won the 2013–14 edition.
During the 2021–22, season was interrupted after Russian invasion of Ukraine, which led Motor Zaporizhzhia left the league, and Meshkov Brest being suspended. Siniša Ostoić, managing director, confirmed that the next season will not include teams from Belarus and Ukraine. Also, European Handball Federation suspended both Russia and Belarus, meaning they are not able to play any competitive game with other EHF members. The following season these clubs founded its own Eastern Division. Season 2022–23 was abandoned after six of eight played games in quarterfinals, with the last game being played on 12 April 2023 between Telekom Veszprém and Partizan.
On 12 May 2023, SEHA YouTube account was hacked by report given on official web page. In the 2022–23 season, several Russian and Belarusian clubs formed their own Eastern Division, operating independently of the original league.
Final Four tournaments
Results by season
Below is the list of winners, finalists and other participants of the Final Four SEHA tournaments. YearHostFinalMatch for third placeChampionScoreSecond PlaceThird PlaceScoreFourth Place2011–12DetailsZagreb Vardar 21–18 Metalurg Zagreb 31–29 Tatran Prešov 2012–13DetailsSkopje Zagreb 25–24 a.e.t. Vardar Metalurg 26–21 Meshkov Brest 2013–14DetailsNovi Sad Vardar 29–27 Meshkov Zagreb 36–28 Tatran 2014–15DetailsVeszprém Veszprém 32–21 Meshkov Zagreb 26–23 Vardar 2015–16DetailsVaraždin Veszprém28–26 Vardar PPD Zagreb24−23 Meshkov Brest2016–17DetailsBrest Vardar26–21 Veszprém Meshkov Brest23−19 PPD Zagreb2017–18DetailsSkopje Vardar26–24 PPD Zagreb Celje31–28 Meshkov Brest2018–19DetailsBrest Vardar26–23 PPD Zagreb Meshkov Brest24–19 Nexe2019–20DetailsZadar Telekom Veszprém35–27 Vardar Meshkov Brest29–24 PPD Zagreb2020–21DetailsZadarTelekom Veszprém27–27 (pen. 4–2)PPD ZagrebMotor Zaporizhzhia31–20 Meshkov Brest2021–22DetailsZadarTelekom Veszprém32–30PPD ZagrebEurofarm Pelister27–23 Nexe2022–23DetailsLeague canceled during the quarterfinals
Hosts
YearFinal four hostHallDateAttendanceFinal (att.)2011–12 ZagrebArena Zagreb14–15 April 20125,5001,5002012–13 SkopjeBoris Trajkovski Sports Center12–13 April 201313,4505,5002013–14 Novi SadSPC Vojvodina11–13 April 201415,7105,1602014–15 VeszprémVeszprém Aréna25–29 March 201516,1005,0002015–16 VaraždinVaraždin Arena1–3 April 201620,6115,4862016–17 BrestUniversal Sports Complex Victoria7–9 April 201712,1502,7502017–18 SkopjeJane Sandanski Arena13–15 April 201816,6506,0002018–19 BrestUniversal Sports Complex Victoria2–3 April 201911,1353,2102019–20 ZadarKrešimir Ćosić Hall4–6 September 20202,0005002020–21 ZadarKrešimir Ćosić Hall3–5 September 20212021–22 ZadarKrešimir Ćosić Hall2–4 September 2022
Records and statistics
By club
ClubWonRunner-upYears wonYears runner-up Total 11 11
By country
Club / NationWonRunner-upFinals Total 11 11 22
Participating clubs
Bold indicates the winning years. ClubSeasonsYears Vardar 19612012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 PPD Zagreb2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 Tatran Prešov2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 Nexe Našice2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 Meshkov Brest2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 RK Vojvodina2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 RK Metalurg Skopje2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019 Telekom Veszprém2015, 2016, 2017, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 Borac2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 Izviđač2012, 2013, 2017, 2019 RK Eurofarm Pelister2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 Lovćen2012, 2013, 2014 Metaloplastika2012, 2020, 2021 Partizan2014, 2022, 2023 Celje2017, 2018 Gorenje2017, 2018 Motor Zaporizhzhia2020, 2021 Spartak Moscow / CSKA Moscow2020 Bosna2012 Crvena zvezda2012 Sutjeska2012 Sloga2013 Radnički2015 Maks Strumica2016 Spartak Vojput2016 Dinamo Pančevo2018 CSA Steaua București2019 Železničar2019 Beijing Sport University2020
References
External links Official website