Defending champions part ways Vestergaard, Rosca on board

It is unusual for a team to win the Women’s EHF Champions League during their maiden season. It is almost unprecedented for that team to change their coach after such a successful year.

However, CSM Bucuresti did both, but the Romanian team did not find the stability that they sought.

After Kim Rasmussen chose to leave for the Hungarian women’s national team, the board of the current title holder decided to continue the Danish path that brought success and confirmed Jakob Vestergaard as the new coach.

But the two-time Women’s EHF Champions League winner had a disappointing stint in the CSM hotseat, with a defeat in the Romanian League, against Dunarea Braila, and three losses in a row in the European top competition.

The 33:25 setback in Györ, their biggest ever in the European premium competition, was the one that convinced the team’s management to search for a replacement.

With their objective jeopardised, as CSM needs at least a draw against Rostov and a win against Midtjylland to progress to the main round phase, the Romanian team’s board decided to pull the trigger and make the change.

“After a thorough analysis of the current season and of the last games, CSM decided to bring a breath of fresh air into the team and make a coaching change,” the Romanian side said in a statement posted on their website.

Vestergaard came to CSM this summer, after being let go from the German women’s national team, after serving as a technical director for the Romanian side between 2014 and 2015.

“I hope the team will progress to the next round. I believe they can do it and I hope I will come back in Bucharest, because the fans and the team have offered me moments I will not forget,” said Vestergaard.

With Vestergaard leaving by mutual consent, the Romanian team did not wait, as they are embroiled in a three-way tussle for a main round berth and for the first time in the last three years decided for a Romanian coach.

The chosen one was Aurelian Roșca, the coach who led the Romanian women’s junior team to a gold medal in the World Championship in 2014 and was HCM Baia Mare’s coach last season, progressing to the main round with the now-defunct Romanian team.

“There is no time to wait, as two important games in our group are looming. I trust our team, in their experience and strength and I believe we can do better and qualify for the next phase,” said Rosca.

The 48-year old’s first game in charge will be on Friday, as the Romanian team wants to break their three-game skid in Rostov.