The job in the national team continues – Ola Lindgren extends with Finland’s men’s handball team

Ola Lindgren continues to coach Finland’s men’s handball team. The new contract means that the Swede will lead Finland in the qualifiers for European Championship 2026.

Before the end of the EC qualifiers, the association’s operations manager Päivi Mitrunen told us that they wanted to extend with coach Ola Lindgren. Both parties had given their respective proposals and it was hoped to reach an agreement.

It has now happened. Lindgren will be in charge of the national team for another two years, until 2025.

– You never know how it will end with contract negotiations, but the intention from the union and my side has been that we should see it through. Now we have done it and now we can look forward to two new years and continue the development work we have done, says Lindgren to Yle Sporten.

It is still unclear whether Finland will participate in the qualifiers for the World Cup in 2025. The new contract means at least that Lindgren will lead Finland in the qualifiers for the European Championship in 2026. The qualifiers will start in a little more than a year, that is, in the fall of 2024.

Ola Lindgren has guided Finland’s men’s handball team since 2019 and rejuvenated the national team. In the last European Championship qualifier, Finland’s hopes of reaching the championship lived on until the very end, but they ended up finishing fourth in the group behind Norway, Serbia and Slovakia.

– Ola has done an excellent job with the team, it is not only noticeable in matches and results, but also that the team is very committed to achieving better performances under Ola’s management. We are very satisfied and confident that the positive development will continue, says the association’s operations manager Päivi Mitrunen in a press release.

The text is being updated…