CSM go with what they know with new coach Vasile

The coaching carousel at CSM Bucuresti sprung another surprise on Tuesday, as Tomas Ryde decided to end his collaboration with the Romanian powerhouse abruptly, after six games in charge and only five days before the start of the DELO WOMEN’S EHF Champions League.

Citing personal reasons, Ryde decided to step down, despite his appointment in the summer was seen as the start of a new era of stability at CSM, as the Swedish coach took on his first day-to-day challenge in the past 11 years.

Now, with Ryde gone and the start of the DELO WOMEN’S EHF Champions League looming, CSM decided to finally give a chance to Adrian Vasile, the Romanian assistant coach who has been plying his trade at CSM since 2014.

Five years as an assistant coach

Vasile, a former right wing who won the Men’s Challenge Cup in 2006 with Steaua Bucuresti, saw 11 coaching changes at CSM, but remained by the club’s side and was an integral part of the team which won Europe’s top flight in 2016.

“It is a big challenge and a huge responsibility, but I can only be honoured to lead this strong side. 

“I know the players well, they also know me, therefore I do not think it will be trouble moving on in the right direction now,” said Vasile told ehfCL.com

This appointment has seen CSM move on from their strategy of searching abroad for coaches to bring some much-needed stability in the team.

There have been 11 coaching changes in the past five seasons, with four Danish coaches - Mette Klit, Kim Rasmussen, Jakob Vestergaard and Helle Thomsen; three Swedish coaches – Per Johansson (two stints), Magnus Johansson and Tomas Ryde; one Romanian coach. Aurelian Rosca, and one Serbian coach, Dragan Djukic. 

This strategy did not pay off in the long term but brought the title to Romania for the first time in 2016.

The question now is whether Vasile, who worked in a two-pronged role as the strength and conditioning coach as well as an assistant coach in past seasons, succeed?

Mutual respect and good defence

“I have learnt a lot from many coaches I worked with, starting from my time as a player, with legendary Romanian coaches such as Stefan Birtalan, Radu Voina and Nicolae Munteanu.”

“Now, in my time at CSM, there were many coaching changes, but I felt the best with Mette Klit and, of course, Per Johansson, whom I currently work with at the Montenegrin women’s national team,” adds Vasile. 

The 36-year old coach will experience a baptism of fire on Sunday when CSM travel to Esbjerg to throw-off their European season. A win would bring peace and quiet while failing to bring back all the points will add more misery to an already embattled side and pile on the pressure.

“In my philosophy, the most important piece of handball is defence, therefore I want to see intensity and grit because the results will not come without a good defence.

“I have already spoken with the players on Tuesday, before the first training session together and I told them I want mutual respect. This is the only way we can move forward and have good results,” says Vasile.

“CSM are a powerhouse”

Despite a good start of the season, as CSM won the Romanian Super Cup against SCM Ramnicu Valcea, the Romanian powerhouse stumbled in the domestic league, losing against HC Zalau and Valcea, with the title already out of their reach after only five games.

It was one of the reasons that helped Ryde decide to leave, as CSM are also battling another unprecedented injury crisis.

Nora Mørk suffered another setback, a torn ACL that will probably sideline her for the entire season, while fellow star Cristina Neagu is not back after a torn ACL suffered last December in the EHF EURO 2018.

Yet Vasile is unfazed and upbeat.

“CSM are a powerhouse and with this kind of team, there are always big expectations from the fans and the management. The objective will not be changed now, we want to return to the DELO WOMEN’S EHF FINAL4 in Budapest come May and we will fight for this berth,” concludes Vasile.