{{Short description|Swiss handball player (born 1993)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2024}} {{Infobox handball biography | name = Nikola Portner | image = 2024-10-27 Handball TVB Stuttgart - SC Magdeburg by mroptimax-15.jpg | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1993|11|19|df=y}} | birth_place = Lyon, France | nationality = Swiss | height = 1.94 m | position = Goalkeeper | currentclub = SC Magdeburg | clubnumber = 80 | youthyears1 = 2004–2006 | youthclubs1 = BSC Grosshöchstetten | youthyears2 = 2006–2007 | youthclubs2 = Handball Grauholz | youthyears3 = 2007–2009 | youthclubs3 = TV Steffisburg | years1 = 2009–2010 | clubs1 = Handball Grauholz | years2 = 2010–2014 | clubs2 = BSV Bern Muri | years3 = 2014–2016 | clubs3 = Kadetten Schaffhausen | years4 = 2016–2020 | clubs4 = Montpellier Handball | years5 = 2020–2022 | clubs5 = Chambéry SMB HB | years6 = 2022– | clubs6 = SC Magdeburg | years7 = | clubs7 = | nationalyears1 = 2011– | nationalteam1 = Switzerland | nationalcaps1 = 148 | nationalgoals1 = 33 | ntupdate = 14 January 2026 }} '''Nikola Portner''' (born 19 November 1993) is a Swiss handball player for SC Magdeburg and the Swiss national team.
== Private == Nikola Portner is the son of the Serbian international handballer Zlatko Portner.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ehfcl.eurohandball.com/men/2023-24/news/en/this-is-me-nikola-portner/|publisher=European Handball Federation|title=This is me: Nikola Portner|access-date=23 January 2026|language=en}}</ref> At the age of three he moved to Bern when his father signed for BSV Bern. He achieved Swiss citizenship in 2008; at the same time as his father.
== Career == Aged 11 he joined the Swiss team BSC Grosshöchstetten. He made his senior debut in the National Liga B for Handball Grauholz, where his father was a coach. From 2010 he joined BSV Bern Muri in the top league. In the 2011-12 season he was named Rookie of the season at the ''Swiss Handball Award''.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.handball-world.news/o.red.r/news-1-1-69-39213.html |title=Schweizer Handballer des Jahres kommen aus der Bundesliga.|publisher=handball-world.com|date=28 May 2012|language=de}}</ref>
In 2014 he joined Kadetten Schaffhausen.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.handball-world.news/o.red.r/news-1-1-69-54077.html |title=Kadetten Schaffhausen verpflichten Nationaltorhüter|publisher=handball-world.com|date=23 December 2013|language=de}}</ref> Here he won the Swiss Championship in 2015 and 2016 and the Swiss Cup in 2016.
In 2016 he joined French team Montpellier AHB.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nzz.ch/sport/nationalgoalie-portner-ab-2016-zu-montpellier-ld.743343 |title=Nationalgoalie Portner ab 2016 zu Montpellier.|publisher=Neue Zürcher Zeitung|date=6 February 2015|language=de}}</ref> Here he won the EHF Champions League in 2018.
For the 2017-18 season he joined league rivals Chambéry Savoie HB.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nzz.ch/sport/handball-der-goalie-nikola-portner-wechselt-nach-chambery-ld.1534604 |title=Handball: Der Goalie Nikola Portner wechselt nach Chambéry.|publisher=Neue Zürcher Zeitung|date=20 February 2020|language=de}}</ref> In the 2021-22 he was named best goalkeeper of the season in the French league.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.handball-world.news/o.red.r/news-1-1-1-142732.html |title=«Green-Nachfolger» Nikola Portner zum besten Torhüter in Frankreich gewählt.|publisher=handball-world.news|date=6 June 2022|access-date=8 June 2022|language=de}}</ref>
In 2022 he joined German side SC Magdeburg.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.handball-world.news/o.red.r/news-1-1-1-135812.html |title=SC Madgeburg verpflichtet Champions-League-Sieger.|publisher=handball-world.news|date=4 October 2021|access-date=4 October 2021|language=de}}</ref> Here he won the 2022 IHF Men's Super Globe and the 2022-23 EHF Champions League, beating Polish KS Kielce in the final 30:29. The following sesason he won the 2023 IHF Men's Super Globe for a second time. In the 2024-25 season he won the EHF Champions League for a third time, beating Füchse Berlin in the final.<ref>{{cite web |title=Magdeburg win all-German final to take third title|url=https://www.eurohandball.com/en/news/en/magdeburg-win-all-german-final-to-take-third-title/|website=eurohandball.com|access-date=15 June 2025}}</ref>
In April 2024 while playing for Magdeburg, Portner was tested positive for Methamphetamine prior to league match against Füchse Berlin.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sport.tv2.dk/haandbold/2024-04-19-topspiller-mistaenkt-for-doping-nu-er-der-nye-oplysninger|title=Topspiller mistænkt for doping – nu er der nye oplysninger|date=19 April 2024|access-date=17 January 2025|work=TV2 Danmark|language=DA|trans-title=Top player accused of doping - Now there is new information}}</ref> He denied allegations of deliberate doping, and in June it was ruled that there was not a high enough level of the drug that deliberate use was likely, and he was acquitted of all charges and only had to serve a 21 month ban.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://hbold.dk/landsholdsspiller-frikendt-for-doping|title=Landsholdsspiller frikendt for doping|date=26 June 2024|access-date=17 January 2025|work=TV2 Danmark|language=DA|trans-title=National team player acquitted of doping charges}}</ref> He returned to training on 10 October 2025 and to paying on 10 December 2025. He made his return to handball for the Swiss national team at the 2026 European Men's Handball Championship.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.handball-world.news/artikel/sperre-wada-nada-hbl-und-nikola-portner-legen-streit-bei-1138512 |title=Sperre! WADA, NADA, HBL und Nikola Portner legen Streit bei |publisher=handball-world.news |date=2025-08-15 |language=de |access-date=2025-08-15}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://sport.tv2.dk/haandbold/2026-01-23-aviserne-har-naermest-gjort-spiller-til-drugdealer-mener-landstraener|publisher=TV2 Danmark|title=Aviserne har nærmest gjort spiller til drugdealer, mener landstræner|date=23 January 2026|access-date=23 January 2026|language=da|author=Mads Artmann Haugaard}}</ref>
== National team == Portner made his debut for the Swiss national team on 2 November 2nd 2011 against Italy.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.handball.ch/de/matchcenter/nati-spieler/1/279391 |title=Spielerprofil. Nikola Portner.|website=handball.ch|access-date=7 February 2025|language=de}}</ref>
He represented Switzerland at the 2020 European Men's Handball Championship.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.handball.ch/de/news/2020/die-schweizer-starten-am-freitag-mit-zuversicht-in-die-ehf-euro/|title=Die schweizer starten am freitag mit zuversicht in die EHF EURO|date=8 January 2020|work=handball.ch}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://livecache.sportresult.com/node/binaryData/HBL_PROD/HBEC20M/PDF_ROSTER_SUI.PDF |title=2020 European Men's Handball Championship squad |access-date=21 June 2020 |archive-date=11 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200111154316/https://livecache.sportresult.com/node/binaryData/HBL_PROD/HBEC20M/PDF_ROSTER_SUI.PDF |url-status=dead }}</ref>
At the 2021 World Men's Handball Championship he finished 16th with the Swiss team.
Ahead of the 2024 European Men's Handball Championship he was named captain of the Swiss national team. At the fournamant Switzerland finisheed 21st.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://res.ehf.eu/doxtore/TLCEQLGQDD/MsUUpydSXLG5FCE7u_Qoww5r__nIazHUZUvfTW2jgR8 |title=EHF Euro 2024 |publisher=European Handball Federation|website=eurohandball.com |format=PDF |language=en |access-date=2024-01-27}}</ref>
At the 2025 World Men's Handball Championship he finished 11th with the Swiss team.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ihf.info/sites/default/files/competitions/7c2253d6-1efd-4495-b237-6171c39fac97/pdf/SUITOTAL.PDF |title=IHF World Championship 2025: Cumulative Statistics Switzerland |publisher=International Handball Federation|website=ihf.info |format=PDF |language=en |access-date=2025-02-07}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{Sports links}}
{{Switzerland squad 2020 European Men's Handball Championship}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Portner, Nikola}} Category:1993 births Category:Living people Category:Swiss male handball players Category:Handball players from Lyon Category:Montpellier Handball players Category:Handball-Bundesliga players Category:SC Magdeburg players Category:Swiss people of Serbian descent Category:Swiss expatriate handball players in Germany Category:Swiss expatriate sportspeople in France Category:Sportspeople from Bern Category:Chambéry Savoie Mont-Blanc Handball players Category:Expatriate handball players in France Category:21st-century Swiss sportsmen Category:Swiss sportspeople in doping cases Category:Doping cases in handball