19.08.2013, 05:36
Albert Rocas joins KIF Kolding København

Spanish world champion covers Danish side's injury worries

Albert Rocas joins KIF Kolding København

Danish Champions League participants KIF Kolding København have reinforced their team with Spanish international Albert Rocas.

The 31-year-old right winger is only a medical check away from joining last season’s runners-up in Denmark on a three-year contract from FC Barcelona.

As ehfCL.com previously reported, KIF Kolding København are bothered by injuries at the moment, not least in the right side of the attack, where right back Kim Andersson as well as right winger Simon Jensen are nursing shoulder injuries.

This meant that all of a sudden Danish international Kasper Irming was the only left-handed player remaining. This problem is largely solved through the signing of Albert Rocas, who was part of the World Championship winning Spanish national team at home in January of this year. That was the second time Rocas could call himself world champion.

“We had talks already about signing Albert Rocas to our team next summer, when his contract with Barcelona was going to expire, but as it turned out, the chance appeared immediately and I am glad that he took it.

“His CV as a handball player could cover an entire career, but at the age of only 31, he still has a lot of years in him,” KIF Kolding København´s managing director Jens Boesen said in an official statement about the club´s new signing.

Meeting old friends

Several of KIF Kolding København´s players are well known to Albert Rocas, as he played together with Kasper Hvidt, Lars Jørgensen and Lasse Boesen in Portland San Antonio and later with Hvidt and Joachim Boldsen in FC Barcelona.

Apart from San Antonio and Barcelona, Rocas has also represented Granollers and Valladolid, while KIF Kolding København will be his first club outside of Spain.

In the VELUX EHF Champions League, Kolding København are in Group B alongside THW Kiel, Vive Targi Kielce, Dunkerque HB, the winner of the wild card tie between Montpellier Agglomeration and Orlen Wisla Plock as well as the winner of Qualification Group 4, consisting of HCM Constanta, FC  Porto, Elverum HH and KRAS/Volendam.

TEXT: Peter Bruun / cor