Valero Rivera steps down as Spain's national coach

Valero Rivera steps down as Spain's national coach

Following many weeks of rumours about his coaching future, Valero Rivera, who has been on the helm of the Spanish national team for four years and steered it to the World Championship crown on home soil in January, on Monday addressed the public with an open letter, confirming that he will step down from his role as national team head coach.

Rivera also mentioned that he received the call of another national handball federation, but he did not mention any names.

Prior to and following Spain's EHF EURO 2014 qualification matches against FYR Macedonia in early April, when the team already secured a berth at the final tournament in Denmark, several media reports had associated Rivera with the Qatari national handball federation, hosts of the 2015 World Championship.

"I am grateful and proud to have coached that team," Rivera wrote in his letter, saying that the emotions he felt, when he lifted the World Championship trophy on 27 January, belong "to the most important and beautiful things" that happened in his career.

Rivera thanked many persons who had accompanied and supported him in the past four years, namely Juan de Dios Román, President of the Spanish Handball Federation (RFEBM).

He furthermore thanked his staff and his team. "All the players I have coached have given their maximum and they are all worthy of the title 'world champions' and being called 'Hispanics'.

The 60-year-old also made a reference to the upcoming RFEBM presidential elections, saying that of the two current candidates only former national team goalkeeper, José Javier Hombrados, made the effort to speak to him and ask for his opinion.

A new RFEBM President is due to be elected on 22 April.

The entire open letter by Valero Rivera can be read on the RFEBM's website (in Spanish only)