RK Krim Mercator are underlining their European ambitions with the signing of two big-name players who have donned their jersey before.

The Slovenian club last week announced the return of centre back Tjasa Stanko and line player Dragana Cvijic for the 2021/22 season.

According to the club’s sports manager, Deja Ivanovic, the arrival of Stanko and Cvijic will help Krim “achieve our goals in the upcoming seasons and that means regaining the status of being one of the best clubs in Europe.”

Significant reinforcements for next season

The current DELO EHF Champions League season marks the 20th anniversary of Krim’s first title in Europe’s top flight. They won a second trophy two years later, in 2002/03, but the past glory has become a distant memory.

Krim have failed to get beyond the main round of the EHF Champions League in each of the past seven seasons.

And their 2020/21 campaign could even end in the group phase, as the team are currently ranked seventh in group A, one position below the play-off spots.

But the management of the Ljubljana-based club is thinking ahead and has secured significant reinforcements for next season.

A Slovenian international (66 matches, 309 goals) who was born in nearby Maribor, Stanko scored 112 goals in two EHF Champions League seasons (2017-19) with Krim before joining HC Podravka Vegeta and, ultimately, Metz Handball.

“I am returning to the club where I played my first minutes in the Champions League. I am happy to be a part of the club’s ambitious plans for the future,” Stanko says.

The other new arrival, Cvijic, previously played for Krim in 2009-11 when Uros Bregar was assistant to then head coach Marta Bon.

The Serbian line player went on to win the EHF Champions League twice with Buducnost, in 2012 and 2015, and is currently in her third season with CSM Bucuresti.

Cvijic has played 91 games and scored 281 goals for the Serbian national team, which she helped win silver at the World Championship 2013 as the All-star Team line player.

“It is a great honour and privilege to wear the jersey of the team in which I started my European career back in 2009,” Cvijic says. “I look forward to new challenges and I am thankful to the club for the trust they have given me.”

Krim extend contract with Sercien-Ugolin

Apart from the signings of Stanko and Cvijic, Krim also announced a contract extension with right wing Oceane Sercein-Ugolin.

The French international, who was part of the team that won silver at the EHF EURO 2020, arrived at Krim in the summer of 2020 and has scored 45 goals in 10 EHF Champions League matches for the Slovenian club.