HC Linz AG

HC Linz AG is a handball club from Linz, Austria. They currently compete in the Handball Liga Austria.

Linz

Location of HC Linz AG

HC Linz AG
Full name	Handball Club Linz AG
Short name	Linz
Founded	1972; 53 years ago (1972)
Arena	Sporthauptschule Linz Kleinmünchen
Capacity	1,200[1]
Head coach	Milan Vunjak
League	Handball Liga Austria
2024-25	4th
Club colours
Home Away
Website Official site

History

The club was founded in 1972. It was promoted to the top division in 1974 and has been in the top division continuously since then. They became Austrian champions seven times (1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1994, 1995 and 1996) and won the Austrian Cup four times (1994, 1995, 1996, 1997). In the 1993/94 season, the club reached the final of the EHF Cup.^[2]

In the 2023-24 season they won their first championship since 1996.

Team

Current squad

Squad for the 2023–24 season^[3]

HC Linz AG

Goalkeepers 16 David Zwicklhuber 61 Florian Kaiper Left Wingers 05 Christian Kislinger 33 Elmar Böhm 77 Elias Derdak Right Wingers 23 Silas Wiesinger Line Players 13 Jakob Kropf 92 Jadranko Stojanović 99 Dejan Golubović Left Backs 07 Mislav Grgić 11 Leon Ghent 39 Arnad Hamzić Central Backs 06 Sinisa Sironjic 24 Moritz Bachmann 26 Lucijan Fižuleto 49 Ajdin Alkic 66 Daniel Röthig Right Backs 34 Nicolas Paulnsteiner

Technical staff

• Head coach: Milan Vunjak
• Assistant coach: Manuel Gierlinger
• Fitness coach: Matthias Papke
• Physiotherapist: Franz Kainz
• Physiotherapist: Christoph Eisner
• Club doctor: Dr. Franz Gaderer

Transfers

Transfers for the 2023–24 season

Joining Florian Kaiper (GK) from SG Handball West Wien[4] Nicolas Paulnsteiner (RB) from SG Handball West Wien Elias Derdak (LW) from SG Handball West Wien Jadranko Stojanović (LP) from Alpla HC Hard Mislav Grgić (LB) from TSV Bayer Dormagen Arnad Hamzić (LB) from GRK Tikveš Dejan Golubović (LP) from SK Keplinger-Traun

Leaving Alexander Hermann (LB) (retires)[5] Maximilian Hermann (RB) (retires)[6] Markus Bokesch (GK) (retires) Dejan Babić (LP) to Alpla HC Hard Tine Gartner (RW) to Union Handballklub Krems Tobias Cvetko (LB) to Beşiktaş JK

Titles

• Handball Liga Austria
  • Winner (8) : 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2024
• Austrian Cup
  • Winner (4) : 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997
• EHF Cup
  • Finalist: 1994

European record

EHF Cup and EHF European League

Season	Round	Club	Home	Away	Aggregate
1993–94 Finalist	1/16	Beşiktaş JK	24–9	32–21	56–30
	1/8	AEL Limassol	wo.
	1/4	Budapesti Elektromos SE	24–19	22–23	46–42
	1/2	Steaua București	21–21	38–23	59–44
	Finals	CB Alzira Avidesa	22–21	19–23	41–44

EHF ranking

As of 12/10/2023^[7]

Rank	Team	Points
160	CSM Focșani	24
161	Gyöngyösi KK	23
162	SKKP Handball Brno	23
163	HC Linz AG	23
164	Bækkelagets SK	22
165	HC Odessa	22
166	RK Metaloplastika	21

Former club members

Notable former players

• Dominik Ascherbauer (2008–2021)
• Damir Djukic (2004–2005)
• Sebastian Feichtinger (1997–2008)
• Patrick Fölser (1998–2000)
• Manuel Gierlinger (1991–2003)
• Alexander Hermann (2008–2012, 2022–2023)
• Maximilian Hermann (2008–2011, 2020–2023)
• Ewald Humenberger (1986–1996, 2000–2008)
• Antonio Juric (2015–2020)
• Florian Kaiper (2023–)
• Klemens Kainmüller (1990–2005, 2013–2018, 2019)
• Werner Lint (2001–2007)
• Manuel Papsch (2002–2016)
• Srđan Predragović (2017–2018, 2019)
• Zsolt Kontra (1986–1990)
• Zygfryd Kuchta (1976–1979)
• Andrzej Szymczak (1976–1980)
• Saša Barišić-Jaman (2012–2013)