Jakob Vestergaard takes over Germany’s women's national team

The German Handball Federation has found a successor for former women’s head coach Heine Jensen, as with Jakob Vestergaard another Dane will take over.

Jensen resigned from his post following Germany’s 10th rank finish at the Women’s EHF EURO 2014.

Vestergaard’s contract runs until the end of 2017. This period includes the Women’s World Championship 2015 in Denmark, the Women’s EHF EURO 2016 in Sweden and the World Championship 2017 which Germany hosts.

The 40-year-old’s first stint courtside will be the Carpathian Trophy in Romania, starting on 20 March, at which Germany face the hosts Sweden and Brazil.

"Jakub Vestergaards stands for an enormous amount of expertise, international experience on the highest level, and he enjoys a great reputation due to the success he had in women’s handball," says German federation president Bernhard Bauer.

"With him in charge our women’s national will be steering towards a successful World Championship 2017."

Vestergaard says: "It’s a huge honour that the German federation puts its trust in me.

"There is a lot of potential in German women’s handball, and I’m not just talking about the World Championship 2017. The challenge for the next years will be to develop this potential together with the league, the clubs and the state federations."

Vestergaard’s first true challenge will come this summer when Germany face Russia in the World Championship Play-offs on 6/7 and 13/14 June.

As a club coach Vestergaard steered Danish side Viborg HK, who then featured German internationals Grit Jurack , Anja Althaus and Nora Reiche, to consecutive overall Women’s EHF Champions League victories in 2009 and 2010.

In 2013 he led Romanian side CS Oltchim Ramnicu Valcea to the competition’s semi-final.

Most recently he was back in Denmark, working as Viborg HK’s sports director.