Four handball legends in exclusive “Club of 1,000”

Some say that talent is everything, while others believe that success comes with experience. The male players included in our “Club of 1,000” certainly have both, as they have entertained us over the years with outstanding skills and determination. Let’s take a look at the handball players that have become a part of the history books.

1. Kiril Lazarov (MKD) - retired / HBC Nantes (FRA) - 1,482 goals

One of the best players of all time, the Macedonian right back has earned his place in the EHF Champions League history after an amazing career that included winning the coveted trophy in 2015 with FC Barcelona. Even though Lazarov announced his retirement in 2022, then at 42 years old, he has remained at the top of the competition’s standings with 1,482 goals. His 1,000th goal was against Alingsas HK in 2014 in his second year with the Spanish club from Barcelona.

2. Nikola Karabatic (FRA) - Paris Saint-Germain HB (FRA) - 1,194 goals

The second place in the overall standings is reserved for none other than the French superstar Nikola Karabatic. The left back is currently in his last season as a professional handball player, but he has shown that he still has some things to prove. After winning the EHF EURO 2024 with France, Karabatic is now fully focused on his Machineseeker EHF Champions League journey with PSG. Apart from his achievements with the national team, the 39-year-old player is a three-time EHF Champions League winner with three different clubs: Montpellier, Kiel and Barcelona. A fourth title with PSG would be the perfect ending to an exceptional career, but the club first has to get past Orlen Wisla Plock in the play-offs.

3. Timur Dibirov (RUS) - HC Zagreb (CRO) - 1,163 goals

The legendary left wing made his first appearance in the EHF Champions League in the 2004/05 season with Chehovski Medvedi and has been a constant presence in the competition throughout the years. At 40 years old, Dibirov continues to play at the highest level with HC Zagreb, which he joined in 2022 after a nine-year stint at Vardar that brought him two EHF Champions League titles (in 2017 and 2019). At the inaugural EHF Excellence Awards in June 2023, Timur Dibirov was named best wing, an acknowledgment of his importance to the sport.

4. Mikkel Hansen (DEN) - Aalborg Håndbold (DEN) - 1,120 goals

The Danish left back is the youngest player included in the “Club of 1,000”, as well as the only one who doesn’t have an EHF Champions League trophy in his collection. Hansen started his impressive career in his native country, at GOG, before continuing his professional journey at bigger clubs such as Barcelona and PSG. Now he’s back in Denmark and ready to fight for the much-desired title with Aalborg Håndbold.

Photos © Cropix, HBC Nantes, Laurene Valroff, Henrik Hansen