Gudmundsson steps down with immediate effect

Gudmundur Gudmundsson is resigning from his role of head coach of the Danish national team.

Back in November the 56-year-old Icelander announced that he was going to step down after this season, when the contract was due to expire.

Soon after, former left wing in the Danish national team, Nickolaj Jacobsen was presented as his successor from this summer onwards.

However, the Danish Handball Federation has now agreed with Gudmundsson that he is to leave the job immediately.

This means that Rhein-Neckar Löwen coach Nikolaj Jacobsen is going to be in charge of the Danish team for the last four EURO 2016 qualifiers this season.

“I have found it best for the national team and for myself to step down now and give Nikolaj Jacobsen the best conditions for taking over the team,” says Gudmundur Gudmundsson.

Honoured by the queen

“I can now look ahead to my future and the interesting challenges that await me,” adds Gudmundsson who was honoured with one of the finest distinctions in Denmark, the Order of Dannebrog, by the Danish queen last month.

Gudmundsson got the distinction for winning  Olympic gold with Denmark in Rio last summer.

The Olympic gold medal became his finest achievement during his three years in charge of the Danish team, but the World Championship in France in January became an anticlimax, as Denmark were sent out by Hungary in the Last 16.

“We were in a situation where Gudmundur had already decided to step down as national coach this summer, so when Nikolaj Jacobsen had the opportunity to take over this spring, Gudmundur and we have agreed to let Nikolaj take over the team for the upcoming EURO qualifiers,” said Morten Stig Christensen, general secretary in the Danish Handball Federation.

Gudmundur Gudmundsson has not revealed what he is going to do after leaving the job in Denmark.

Denmark’s last qualification matches for the EHF EURO 2018 in Croatia are against Hungary on 4 and 7 in both home and away matches; next up is the Netherlands away on 14 June and Lithuania at home on 18 June.

Denmark are on top of Qualification Group 1 ahead of the last four matches.