# Nemzeti Bajnokság I (men's handball)

The Nemzeti Bajnokság I (English: National Championship I, commonly abbreviated NB I) is the premier men's professional handball league in Hungary, administered by the Hungarian Handball Federation. Since 2016 the official name of the championship is K&H Férfi Kézilabda Liga due to sponsorship reasons.

## Overview

Running since 1951, the Hungarian championship is among the strongests in Europe. Veszprém KC have won the EHF Cup Winners' Cup in 2008 and have reached the semi-final of the EHF Champions League three times in the last nine seasons, capturing a silver medal in 2002. Main domestic rivals SC Pick Szeged are also regular members of the Champions League.
Famous handball players who have played in the league include Carlos Perez, Zlatko Saračević, Mirza Džomba, Árpád Sterbik, Kiril Lazarov, László Nagy, Dániel Buday, Balázs Laluska, József Éles, Julio Fis, Rolando Uríos, Nenad Peruničić, Vlado Šola, Dejan Perić, Vladimir Hernandez, Gergő Iváncsik and many others.
Currently, it consists of 14 teams. The top four teams after the regular season qualify for the playoffs, where a best-of-three system is used. Teams ranked fifth to ninth and tenth to twelfth decide their final places in a classification round, using a double round robin system, playing six additional rounds. Depending on their final position in the regular season, they are awarded bonus points which are added to the points they earn in the postseason.
According to the EHF league ranking, NB I champions and runners-up receive an automatic spot in the Group phase of the forthcoming Champions League season, while following two clubs enter the EHF Cup. Teams ranked thirteenth and fourteenth get relegated and will be replaced by the winners of the Eastern and Western group of the second division.

## Current season
### Teams for season 2023–24

| Team | Location | Arena | Capacity | Finished pos. in last season | Seasons in top division | Top division titles |
| Balatonfüredi KSE | Balatonfüred | Balaton Szabadidő és Konferencia Központ | 712 | 5th | 17 | 0 |
| Budakalász FKC | Budakalász | Budakalászi Sportcsarnok | 400 | 10th | 8 | 0 |
| Csurgói KK | Csurgó | Sótonyi László Sportcsarnok | 1200 | 6th | 16 | 0 |
| Dabas KK | Dabas | OBO Aréna | 1920 | 9th | 7 | 0 |
| QHB-Eger | Eger | Kemény Ferenc Sportcsarnok | 885 | 1st (in Nemzeti Bajnokság I/B) | 8 | 0 |
| Ferencvárosi TC | Budapest, IX. ker | Elek Gyula Aréna | 1300 | 4th | 11 | 0 |
| HE-DO B. Braun Gyöngyös | Gyöngyös | Dr. Fejes András Sport- és Rendezvénycsarnok | 1500 | 7th | 17 | 0 |
| PLER-Budapest | Budapest, XVIII. ker | Budapest Airport Aréna | 1000 | 2st (in Nemzeti Bajnokság I/B) | 18 | 0 |
| MOL Tatabánya KC | Tatabánya | Tatabányai Multifunkcionális Sportcsarnok | 6200 | | 51 | 4 |
| Carbonex-Komló | Komló | Komló Városi Sportközpont | 800 | 11th | 26 | 0 |
| NEKA | Balatonboglár | NEKA Sportcsarnok | 678 | 8th | 3 | 0 |
| OTP Bank - Pick Szeged | Szeged | Pick Aréna | 8143 | | 48 | 5 |
| Fejér B.Á.L. Veszprém | Veszprém | Március 15. úti Sportcsarnok | 2200 | 12th | 4 | 0 |
| Telekom Veszprém KC | Veszprém | Veszprém Aréna | 5096 | | 43 | 26 |

## Sponsorship

The league went through various name changes depending on the sponsor for the given season(s):
* –2002: No sponsor
* 2002–2012: Budapest Bank (Budapest Bank Kézilabda Liga)
* 2012–2016: No sponsor (Nemzeti Bajnokság I - NB I)
* 2016– : K&H Bank (K&H liga)

## Format

As we can see from the chart the number of teams in the Hungarian First Division changed a lot and continuously. The league started in 1951 with four teams and with the formation of teams the league expanded continuously. Currently, there are 14 teams in the first division.
| Season | Number of teams |
| from 1951 to 1952 | 4 teams |
| in 1953 | 6 teams |
| in 1954 | 12 team |
| from 1955 to 1956 | 4 teams |
| in 1957 | 12 teams |
| from 1958 to 1959 | 14 teams |
| from 1960 to 1964 | 12 teams |
| from 1965 to 1975 | 14 teams |
| from 1976 to 1982 | 12 teams |
| from 1983 to 1990-91 | 14 teams |
| from 1991-92 to 1994-95 | 16 teams |
| from 1995-96 to 1998-99 | 14 teams |
| from 1999-00 to 2006-07 | 12 teams |
| in 2007-08 | 16 teams |
| in 2008-09 | 12 teams |
| from 2009-10 to 2010-11 | 13 teams |
| from 2011-12 to 2014-15 | 12 teams |
| from 2015-16 to present | 14 teams |

## Title holders

* 1951 : Vörös Meteor
* 1952 : Honvéd
* 1953 : Újpest
* 1954 : Vörös Meteor
* 1955 : Vörös Meteor
* 1956 : Vörös Meteor, Bp. Kinizsi
* 1957 : Vörös Meteor
* 1958 : Újpest
* 1959 : Bp. Spartacus
* 1960 : Bp. Spartacus
* 1961 : Bp. Spartacus
* 1962 : Bp. Spartacus
* 1963 : Bp. Honvéd
* 1964 : Bp. Honvéd
* 1965 : Bp. Honvéd
* 1966 : Bp. Honvéd
* 1967 : Bp. Honvéd
* 1968 : Bp. Honvéd
* 1969 : Elektromos SE
* 1970 : Elektromos SE
* 1971 : Elektromos SE
* 1972 : Bp. Honvéd
* 1973 : Bp. Spartacus
* 1974 : Tatabánya
* 1975 : Debreceni Dózsa
* 1976 : Bp. Honvéd
* 1977 : Bp. Honvéd
* 1978 : Tatabányai Bányász
* 1979 : Tatabányai Bányász
* 1980 : Bp. Honvéd
* 1981 : Bp. Honvéd
* 1982 : Bp. Honvéd
* 1983 : Bp. Honvéd
* 1984 : Tatabányai Bányász
* 1985 : Veszprém
* 1986 : Veszprém
* 1987 : Győri ETO
* 1988/89 : Győri ETO
* 1989/90 : Győri ETO
* 1990/91 : Elektromos SE
* 1991/92 : Veszprém
* 1992/93 : Veszprém
* 1993/94 : Veszprém
* 1994/95 : Veszprém
* 1995/96 : Szeged
* 1996/97 : Veszprém
* 1997/98 : Veszprém
* 1998/99 : Veszprém
* 1999/00 : Dunaferr
* 2000/01 : Veszprém
* 2001/02 : Veszprém
* 2002/03 : Veszprém
* 2003/04 : Veszprém
* 2004/05 : Veszprém
* 2005/06 : Veszprém
* 2006/07 : Szeged
* 2007/08 : Veszprém
* 2008/09 : Veszprém
* 2009/10 : Veszprém
* 2010/11 : Veszprém
* 2011/12 : Veszprém
* 2012/13 : Veszprém
* 2013/14 : Veszprém
* 2014/15 : Veszprém
* 2015/16 : Veszprém
* 2016/17 : Veszprém
* 2017/18 : Szeged
* 2018/19 : Veszprém
* 2019/20 : Not awarded
* 2020/21 : Szeged
* 2021/22 : Szeged
* 2022/23 : Veszprém
* 2023/24 : Veszprém

## Performances
### By club

| Club | Winners | Runners-up | Third place | Winning years |
| Veszprém | 28 | 12 | 2 | 1985, 1986, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2023, 2024 |
| Bp. Honvéd | 14 | 7 | 4 | 1952, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1972, 1976, 1977, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983 |
| Szeged | 5 | 20 | 11 | 1996, 2007, 2018, 2021, 2022 |
| Bp. Spartacus | 5 | 5 | 4 | 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1973 |
| Vörös Meteor | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1951, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957 |
| Elektromos SE | 4 | 6 | 4 | 1969, 1970, 1971, 1991 |
| Tatabánya | 4 | 3 | 8 | 1974, 1978, 1979, 1984 |
| Győri ETO | 3 | 3 | 4 | 1987, 1989, 1990 |
| Újpest | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1953, 1958 |
| Dunaferr | 1 | 4 | 8 | 2000 |
| Ferencváros | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1956 |
| Debreceni Dózsa | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1975 |
| Győri Textiles | - | 1 | 2 | - |
| Csepel | - | 1 | 1 | - |
| Vörös Lobogó | - | - | 2 | - |
| Testnevelési Főiskola | - | - | 2 | - |
| Balatonfüred | - | - | 2 | - |
| Bp. Építők | - | - | 1 + (1) | - |
| Martfűi MSE | - | - | 1 | - |
| Vasas | - | - | 1 | - |
| Honvéd Szondi SE | - | - | 1 | - |
| Csurgó | - | - | 1 | - |

### By counties

The following table lists the Hungarian handball champions by counties of Hungary.
| County (megye) | Titles | Winning clubs |
| Budapest | 29 | Honvéd (14) Bp. Spartacus (5) Elektromos SE (4) Vörös Meteor (4) Újpest (2) |
| Veszprém | 28 | Telekom Veszprém (28) |
| Csongrád-Csanád | 5 | Pick Szeged (5) |
| Komárom-Esztergom | 4 | Tatabánya KC (4) |
| Győr-Moson-Sopron | 3 | Győri ETO (3) |
| Hajdú-Bihar | 1 | Debreceni Dózsa (1) |
| Fejér | 1 | Dunaferr (1) |
* The bolded teams are currently playing in the 2022–23 season of the Hungarian League.

## Clubs

Since 1951, clubs have participated in the Hungarian League. The club with the most appearances in the top league is PLER with 58. This record also includes participations of Elektromos SE and Malév SC Pestszenlőrinc, which merged to form PLER. The current NBI team with the most participations is Tatabánya with 54, as of the 2023-24 season. Ferencváros is the team that has participated the most seasons, 43, without ever winning the title.

## Statistics
### EHF coefficients

The following data indicates Hungarian coefficient rankings between European handball leagues.

### In European competitions

| | | Champions League | Champions League | Champions League | Champions League | EHF Cup | EHF Cup | EHF Cup | EHF Cup | Challenge Cup | Challenge Cup | Challenge Cup | Challenge Cup | Cup Winners' Cup (defunct) | Cup Winners' Cup (defunct) | Cup Winners' Cup (defunct) | Cup Winners' Cup (defunct) |
| | | C | | RU | SF | C | | RU | SF | C | | RU | SF | C | | RU | SF |
| Honvéd | | 1 | 1982 | 1 | 3 | 0 | | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0 | 0 |
| Veszprém | | 0 | | 3 | 3 | 1 | | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1992, 2008 | 2 | 3 |
| Szeged | | 0 | | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2014 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0 | 1 | 0 | | 0 | 3 |
| Győri ETO | | 0 | | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1986 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0 | 0 |
| Dunaferr | | 0 | | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0 | 1 | 0 | | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 1 | 1 |
| Tatabánya | | 0 | | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0 | 1 |
| TOTAL | TOTAL | 1 title | 1 title | 4 | 6 | 3 title | 3 title | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 title | 2 title | 3 | 8 |