Former Montex Lublin handball coach Andrzej Drużkowski dies at 77 in Norway

Nine consecutive titles in Lublin

Former handball coach Andrzej Drużkowski died on 5 October 2026 in Norway at the age of 77. The announcement of his passing was confirmed by PGE MKS El-Volt Lublin, the current continuation of the Montex Lublin team where Drużkowski spent the most decorated decade of his coaching career. Between 1994 and 2003, Drużkowski managed the club to nine consecutive Polish league championship titles. Over the course of the same nine-year period, Montex also lifted the Polish Cup six times under his supervision. His tenure relied on structured tactical preparation, strict discipline, and developing player confidence, turning Lublin into the central power of women's handball in Poland.

European trophies and national team role

On the European stage, Drużkowski led Montex Lublin to the club's pinnacle in 2001 by capturing the European Handball Federation Cup. Montex defeated Croatian club Podravka Koprivnica in the final to claim the trophy. Under Drużkowski's leadership, the Lublin team also contested the Women's EHF Champions League group stage in six seasons, advancing to the competition quarter-finals in both the 1999–2000 and 2001–2002 campaigns. Alongside his club role between 2000 and 2003, Drużkowski served as the assistant coach to Marek Karpiński for the Poland women's national handball team. Montex players served as the core of the national squad during those years.

Drużkowski reflected on his years in Lublin during a 2020 interview with TVP Sport, describing his connection to the club.

Montex was my rose. I mean the beautiful flower, not the thorns. I dedicated my entire life to handball. It was the most wonderful reward that ever happened to me.

Early coaching in Elbląg and move to Scandinavia

Drużkowski graduated from the Warsaw Academy of Physical Education before starting his coaching career in Elbląg in the early 1970s. He initially coached local clubs Truso and Start, guiding Start Elbląg to promotion into the Polish top division in 1977. In 1988, he moved to Norway to manage first-division side Nidelv Trondheim. After concluding his nine-year tenure at Montex Lublin in 2003, he had a short stint in charge of Kolporter Kielce before returning to Elbląg to manage Start once again. In 2010, Drużkowski moved back to Norway, where he coached Rarvik IL and worked as a schoolteacher dedicated to youth player training.

Final years and burial in Norway

Drużkowski lived in Norway for the final sixteen years of his life, continuing his work with youth handball development. In his 2020 interview with TVP Sport, he noted his expectation to spend his remaining years in Scandinavia.

I will probably see my last sunset in Norway... But so what!

Officials from PGE MKS El-Volt Lublin confirmed that Drużkowski will be buried in Norway in accordance with his wishes. His former clubs and Polish handball officials remembered him as a demanding, fair mentor capable of turning individual players into a cohesive championship unit. His contributions between 1994 and 2003 established the most successful era in the history of Lublin handball.