Spain: New Season, New Coaches

Talant Dujshebaev can be proud. He is the only coach of Spanish CL teams who conserved his place on the bench. Technically Ciudad Real changed trainer too, because Raul Gonzalez was the coach officially in last months of the season when Dujshebaev returned to replace the injured Uros Zorman. Barcelona, Portland and Ademar Leon will begin the new season with new men directing the teams: Manuel Cadenas, Javier Cabanas and Jordi Ribera.

Cadenas: from Leon to Barcelona

Manuel Cadenas left Ademar after a golden decade, winning valuable titles such as Spanish League or Cup Winners’ Cup. His decision came as an earthquake in Leon, and they had to look for another coach.

Cadenas accepted the offer of FC Barcelona and Xesco Espar had to leave. When Espar arrived, he had to substitute a mythical coach, Valero Rivera. He has done it successfully with a Spanish League and a Champions League title. Now, Cadenas begins another project with some new players including Lozano, Gull, Kasper, Garabaya and Noddesbo. The first victory of Cadenas in Barcelona was getting a wildcard to play in the Champions League next season. It is very important news for the club that won seven Champions League titles so far. The first step towards another good CL season will be against the Portuguese side, Sporting Braga.

Jordi Ribera returns to Asobal

Ademar needed a new coach after Cadenas said goodbye to the team. It was a very difficult decision for the club, because Cadenas won titles. Jordi Ribera was chosen. The Catalonian coach returns to Spain after good experience in two different countries. Ribera was working in Brazil and Argentina as national coach. His job in these federations was different to coaching a club team. He was a coach and a teacher at the same time, because these countries are still not playing on a European level. Ribera must switch back to the European mentality and remember the days when he was coaching the Canarian team, Galdar, or the Basque team, Bidasoa. Ribera took the small club of Galdar to the City Cup Final ten years ago. Andrei Parashenko, Velo Rajic, Alberto Martín and Ambros Martín were some of his players those days.

Ribera will have a strong team in Leon with veteran players (Garralda, Krivoshlikov, Sigurdsson), mature handballers (Saric, Jakobsen) and young talents (Aginagalde, Carton, Perales). Viran Morros and Raul Entrerrios have left Leon for Ciudad Real and Valladolid.

Cabanas on the bench of Equisoian

Javier Equisoian left the Portland bench on 1 June. It was a real trauma in Pamplona. The problem was the same as the one seen in Ademar, but it came some months later. The solution was more difficult. To replace a mythical figure within a few days is almost impossible. Javier Cabanas was the solution at the end. He has never been in the Champions League as coach, but he won the competition in 1994-95 playing for Teka. As a coach, his first and only team was Altea that played the final of EHF Cup five seasons ago, but lost against THW Kiel. He had great experience as a player, 223 Spanish caps, but he must prove his qualities in a big Champions League club.

The Portland roster will stay unchanged from last season, only Kasper left Pamplona to sign for Barcelona. Portland are looking for another goalkeeper and signed two other players: Fernando Hernandez and Cristian Malmagro.