Rolf Brack takes over Swiss national team

German handball coach Rolf Brack succeeds Goran Perkovac at the helm of the Swiss men's national team.

The 59-year-old, who currently coaches HBW Balingen-Weilstetten in the German Bundesliga and who is also a certified EHF Master Coach, signed a contract until the end of the 2015/16 season.

The Swiss Handball Federation also appointed a team of four experienced handball coaches who will serve as Brack's assistant coaches and also as the link between the national team and the Swiss club.

These four coaches are Adrian Brüngger (head coach Pfadi Winterthur), Petr Hrachovec (assistant coach Pfadi Winterthur), Martin Rubin (head coach Wacker Thun) and Michael Suter (head coach of the Swiss Men's under-19 and Men's under-21 teams).

As Brack is still contracted to Balingen-Weilstetten until the end 2013/14 season, there will be a short transitory period in the weeks to come.

Up until the end of December 2013 the aforementioned team of four will be entirely in charge of the Swiss national team. From the four-nation tournament 'Yellow Cup' (27 to 29 December 2013) to the end of the season, Brack will get time off from Balingen-Weilstetten for the Swiss national team's needs.

From 1 July 2014 he will be solely employed by the Swiss Handball Federation.

The Swiss national team travels to Qatar for two test matches at the end of September and will face Slovenia on 30 October and Luxembourg on 3 November in their first two qualification matches for the 2015 World Championship.

At the end of March 2014 they will face Estonia in the play-offs to reach the second qualification phase for the EHF EURO 2016 in Poland.

PHOTO: Swiss Handball Federation