20.09.2016, 05:16
Jordi Ribera presented as new Spanish men's head coach

NEWS REPORT: 53-year-old Spaniard Jordi Ribera has been presented as the new head coach of Spain's men's national with the task to lead the team to the top in the next four years

Jordi Ribera presented as new Spanish men's head coach

With Brazil he reached the quarter-finals of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, but now Jordi Ribera has been given an arguably bigger task: leading EHF EURO 2016 finalists and 2013 world champions Spain to the top of European and world handball.

"It is a challenge to return to Spain and start working with a vision of four years towards the 2020 Olympics, knowing that there are intermediate steps and that Spain has to be on top," said Ribera when he was officially presented as the successor of Manolo Cadenas on Tuesday.

Cadenas had resigned at the beginning of September. In June Spain had missed the qualification to the Olympic Games in Rio.

Fellow Spaniard Ribera, who coached Ademar León from 2007 to 2011 and then took over the Brazilian national team from 2012 onwards, had only praise for Cadenas' work, saying he left big shoes to fill.

"It's difficult to promise results, I can say that I will dedicate body and soul in this project and hope to receive the cooperation of all," said Ribera.

The 53-year-old will have his first competitive matches courtside when Spain face Bosnia-Herzegovina and Finland on 2 and 5 November 2016 in the EHF EURO 2018 Qualification.

In January 2017 Spain then participate at the World Championship 2017 in France.

TEXT: RFEBM / EHF / ts