Sweden appoints new head coach ahead of Women’s EHF EURO 2016

After he had been in charge for 11 years of the successful women’s team IK Sävehof, head Henrik Signell takes on a new challenge, having signed a two-year-contract as Sweden’s women’s national team coach.

In December 2013 he was already offered the job, but turned the down the offer at the time.

Now, however, he is ready to take over the national team which has qualified for the Rio Olympics in August and will play on home soil at the upcoming EHF EURO 2016 in December.

“My decision has matured over time, and now my feeling is really good. I have had a dialogue with the federation for some time, and Sävehof have been very understanding all the way.

“It is going to be great to be in charge of the national team at these exciting championships,” Signell was quoted on the Swedish Handball Federation’s official website.

By signing Signell, the Swedish federation has finally found a permanent solution for head coach position after parting ways with Thomas Sivertsson in January.

Dane Helle Thomsen, who had formed a coaching duo with Sivertsson when Sweden won the bronze medal at the EHF EURO 2014, was brought in as temporary coach for the Olympic qualifiers in March, but after  the team qualified for Rio, she went back to her job as coach of Danish EHF Champions League participants FC Midtjylland.

Henrik Signell will be in charge until the summer of 2018 at least.

“Henrik is perhaps the most successful coach ever in Swedish women’s handball, with his many Swedish championships and excellent performances in the EHF Champions League,” Lasse Tjernberg, Swedish national team manager said.

“Over the years, he has become a respected name also internationally and he has great knowledge of all our own players as well as of our opponents.

“He is the right man to lead Sweden at the Olympics, at the EURO on home ground and in the qualifiers afterwards,” Tjernberg added.

Before taking over as national coach, Henrik Signell has the chance to lead Sävehof to yet another Swedish championship when his team faces Skuru in the final in Malmö on Sunday (22 May).