Pick Szeged secure Pastor as Skaliczki successor

After 18 years in Valladolid, Juan Carlos Pastor changes club and country. The Olympic bronze medallist coach moves to Hungarian Pick Szeged with big ambitions.

Pick Szeged’s representatives travelled to Madrid not only because five of their players are competing at the World Championship with the Hungarian national team, but also to speak with Juan Carlos Pastor.

On Sunday evening, Pick and Pastor ended the negotiation process and signed a two year contract, with the option for an additional two years.

The new coach will begin working this summer, and will be the third Spanish coach in Hungary, alongside Ambros Martín, who works in Győr, and Antonio Carlos Ortega in Veszprém.

Earlier on Sunday, alongside the negotiations, the club announced that László Skaliczki will leave the club at the end of the season by mutual agreement.

“We respect the achievements of László Skaliczki, he has given a lot of effort to Pick Szeged. It is no coincidence that he was chosen as the best coach in the last 50 years of the club’s history.

“But the world of professional sport is hard, sometimes we need to change and we decided that we won’t prolong the contract” said Richárd Mezei, managing director of Pick Szeged.

László Skaliczki accepts the decision which was taken by mutual agreement; “I have good memories, we played fantastic matches with Pick and I will never forget this period.

“I am not the kind of man who gives up the work in such a situation. I keep doing my best of course.

“Big challenges are ahead of us after the World Championship, we have important matches in the VELUX EHF Champions League, the Hungarian Championship, and the Hungarian Cup.”

Pick was looking for a well known coach with proven track record, and Juan Carlos Pastor definitely meets these requirements.

Pastor led the Spanish national team from 2004 until 2008, won the World Championship in 2005, won silver medal at the EHF EURO in 2006 and bronze medal at the Olympics in 2008.

Since 1995, he has been working in Valladolid where they won the EHF Cup Winners’ Cup in 2009, Copa Asobal in 2003, and the Spanish Copa Del Ray twice, in 2005 and 2006.

Richárd Mezei claims that Pastor is an incredibly well prepared coach with a sympathetic character:

“We promised that we would find a worthy successor of Skaliczki and I think we kept our promise. Pastor was successful not only with Valladolid but also with the Spanish national team.”

Juan Carlos Pastor felt that it was time to change after so many years in Valladolid; “I received a very good offer from Pick Szeged.

“The management wanted me to take over the team, they insisted on me and this was a very important factor in making my decision.

“Leaving my family in Spain will be the most difficult, but I am ready for the new challenges and I am excited about the new job.”

The Spanish coach has already been in Szeged before, with Valladolid. Back then he did not have time to get to know the city but he experienced the handball loving atmosphere.

“I loved playing in Szeged; we played close matches all the time. The sports hall was full of fans, and they supported the team non-stop. I hope the situation will be the same during my era, because any team which wants to improve needs the supporters.”