Hedin steps down as Norway's head coach

After having been in charge for five and a half years the Norwegian men's national team, former Swedish international Robert Hedin decided to step down with immediate effect.

The Norwegian Handball Federation is now looking for a coach who can take over the team, looking for a solution until in the end of the season in the first place.

After the EHF EURO 2014 in Denmark in January when Norway had to leave after the group phase, 48-year-old Robert Hedin had been rather heavily ciritisised in Norwegian media.

"There were great expectations for our team ahead of the (EHF) EURO in Denmark.

"We also had great expectations in ourselves. Despite of being in a very tough preliminary round group, our goal was to proceed to the main round.

"We did not succeed with that, although the margin was the narrowest possible," Robert Hedin said in an official statement.

"After the (EHF) EURO there has been a lot of turbulence around the team and my role as the main person responsible for the team's results.

"It is important to get all this subdued ahead of the important World Championship qualification matches against Austria in June.

"Therefore, I feel that the time is right to leave the responsibility to others now that the team is going to start the preparations for those matches shortly," Hedin added.

Looking for temporary solution

At first, the Norwegian Handball Federation is looking for a temporary sucessor for the rest of this season.

"The process to find a new national coach is starting right away. This will mean a temporary solution until and including the matches against Austria, and after that we will start looking for a more permanent solution," said Erik Langerud, General Secretary of the Norwegian Handball Federation.

"The temporary coach will have to be found within a week," he added.