Under the spotlight: Olga Fomina
Right wing Olga Fomina has spent most of her career at Lada, although she also had spells at HC Vardar and Rostov-Don. Since 2011, Fomina has regularly played for Russia's national team, and she was the only Togliatti-based player at the EHF EURO 2020 and Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Having a lot of international experience, she is one of the players who can lead by example in crucial moments.
How they rate themselves
"We have not won a European Cup for more than seven years, although we have repeatedly advanced from the group. We hope now not only to make the next step, but also to go as far as possible, showing a good game. I think if we show character and do our best, we will have a good chance to fight for the title," Lada's captain Julia Kakmolia said.
Did you know?
Irina Bliznova, the former right back who won the Rio 2016 Olympics and two world championships with Russia's national team, spent her entire club career at Lada. She decided to finish her career in 2016, but returned to the court three years later and played at Togliatti again in the 2019/20 season. After the club changed its owner in 2021, Bliznova became Lada's president in the summer, so this is a new, important chapter in her handball life.
What the numbers say
While Fomina was Lada's only player at the Olympics last year, four Togliatti-based players represented the Russian team at the IHF Women’s World Championship 2021. Beside Fomina, three back court players were called up to the national team - Olga Shcherbak, Valeriia Kirdiasheva and Veronika Nikitina.
Arrivals and departures
Arrivals: Valiantsina Vaitulevich (BNTU-BelAZ), Irina Nikitina (Astrakhanochka)
Departures: Anastasia Lagina (Rostov-Don), Viktoryia Shamanouskaya (CSKA), Polina Masalova (Ruch Horzow)
Past achievements
EHF European League Women participations (including 2021/22): 2
Quarter-finals (1): 2020/21
Other:
EHF Champions League
Runners-up (1): 2006/07
Semi-finals (1): 2007/08
Quarter-finals (4): 2002/03, 2003/04, 2004/05, 2005/06
Group matches (1): 2009/10
EHF Cup:
Winners (2): 2011/12, 2013/14
Semi-finals (1): 2010/11
Quarter-finals (2): 2017/18, 2019/20
Cup Winners' Cup:
Winners (1): 2001/02
Runners-up (1): 2015/16
Quarter-finals (1): 2004/05
Russian league: 6 titles (2002-06, 2008)
Russian cup: 1 title (2006)