Ljubomir Vranjes to take over as Telekom Veszprem coach on 1st of July

Xavi Sabate

Two-time SEHA Gazprom League's champions Telekom Veszprem have decided to make a coaching change in the summer of 2017 already signing up Swedish expert and former Flensburg coach Ljubomir Vranjes who will on multiple Hungarian champion's bench replace Spaniard Xavi Sabate on 1st of July.

Xavi Sabate was given a coaching role in Veszprem at the beginning of 2015/2016 season when club decided to part company with coach Antonio Carlos Ortega. Sabate was Ortega's assistant back then and was chosen to lead the team until club's leaders find a new coach. However, series of good results have kept him on the bench as he was leading Veszprem through one of the best seasons in club's history. They have last season managed to secure the double crown in Hungary, dominantly win SEHA Gazprom League for the second time in a row and catch a place in Cologne on EHF CL F4 where they were in finals edged by Polish Kielce. As an award for his success he was given a chance to lead Hungarian national team as well reaching QF after EF win over Denmark on WCh in France.

Veszprem are however this season, despite of multiple reinforcements, not functioning so well - they no longer look invincible after suffering two losses and as much draws in the first part of SEHA Gazprom League's season. They are not doing perfect so far in CL either and that was probably the main reason for club's leaders to decide to look for a new coach and their pick is Ljubomir Vranjes.

Ljubo Vranjes is a former Swedish national player who has, after finishing his playing career, already proved himself as one of the best European coaches at the moment. As a player he has 3 EC gold medals, 1 WCh gold and 2 silvers as well as a silver medal from 2000 Sydney Olympics. He started his career in Swedish Redbergslids where he played for 10 seasons. His first international challenge was playing in Spanish Granollers for 2 years after which he decided to go to Germany. First he spent 5 years in Nordhorn and then went to Flensburg back in 2006 not even knowing he'll create a legacy over there. He spent 3 years there as a player after which he in 2010 became a player-coach eventually adopting a coach-only role and making the club one of the best and most influential in Europe. He led Flensburg towards German Cup back in 2015 but his biggest achievements outgrew German boundaries as they have in 2012 won EHF Cup Winner's Cup what later proved to only be a preparation for one of the biggest surprises in European club handball when they 2 years later stunned handball world winning EHF Champions League after beating Barcelona in semis and one of their biggest rivals Kiel in finals.

 

Summer of 2017 will however mark a beginning of a whole new chapter of his career as he will take over a club whose ambitions are sky high from season to season and whose goals are to go all the way in each competition.