“Beyond Five Minutes: Chema Rodríguez on Hungary’s World Cup Journey”
The captains of Hungary’s national handball teams regularly share their thoughts with fans through their blogs at Hungarian handball Federation website.
Naturally, Chema Rodríguez, head coach of the Hungarian national team, reflects on the recently concluded World Championship.
The tournament ended for us over a week ago, and I’ve already started analyzing our matches and performance. But after arriving home from Zagreb, the first thing I did was enjoy time with my family and begin recharging.
When evaluating a competition, I always look at the bigger picture, including the preparation leading up to it. That’s why I find it surprising that many people judge our entire World Cup campaign based solely on the last five minutes of our quarter-final against Croatia. Of course, I have rewatched that game—including the first 55 minutes—along with all our other matches. Overall, I am extremely proud of both the team and the staff. Everyone worked tirelessly in December, January, and throughout the World Cup.
Reaching the top eight teams for the third consecutive World Cup is a major achievement. Just look at the teams that finished behind us: Iceland, Norway, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Sweden, and even Spain. Some of them had a real shot at the semi-finals. The competition is incredibly tight—anyone can beat anyone. That includes us, and also 15 other teams we are capable of beating, even those who didn’t qualify, like Serbia or the Faroe Islands. In today’s handball, performance, daily form, and even luck make the sport completely unpredictable—which is fantastic for fans.
Every match was crucial in our journey to the quarter-finals. Even against Guinea, we had to be fully prepared and focused. Against North Macedonia, our fighting spirit helped us salvage a point. The battles against the Netherlands, Austria, and Qatar were intense, demanding maximum effort from everyone. Unfortunately, we struggled against France in the first half, but finishing with four wins and just one loss gave us great momentum. Celebrating together at the semi-final stage and traveling to Zagreb was an incredible feeling. I also want to thank our Hungarian fans—your unwavering support in Varaždin meant the world to us!
Going into the match against Croatia, we weren’t seen as favorites—more like an easy opponent. But we completely disproved that. We found a way to counter their aggressive open defense, executing our game plan to perfection in an intense atmosphere, in front of 15,000 passionate Croatian fans.
The most feedback, questions, and criticism I received were about our 7-on-5 offensive strategy. It’s a highly noticeable tactic, especially when a team scores using it, which may be why so much focus was placed on it. However, during the final five minutes—when we couldn’t score and ultimately lost in the last seconds—we weren’t using this strategy at all. That was mainly due to being shorthanded twice in a row.
For the first 55 minutes, our attack functioned exactly as planned—we broke through Croatia’s defense effectively and Laci Bartucz had a fantastic performance in goal. Did we make mistakes at the end? Yes. We had chances but couldn’t convert them, and our efficiency dropped. But that’s handball—mistakes happen, on the court and on the bench.
Naturally, we were devastated because we came so close to an incredible achievement. We wanted to bring joy to so many people, and missing the semi-finals hurt. However, the potential in this team is undeniable. We will keep pushing forward to be among the best. That’s what I told the players—keep our heads high, build on our strengths, and work on our weaknesses. And sometimes, I believe, we will even outperform the expectations the international handball world has for us.
Now, it’s time to move forward. The players return to their clubs, and for me, my focus shifts to our European Championship qualifiers against Montenegro in March. Winning both matches will be crucial in securing our place at the 2026 European Championship—and that’s exactly what we’re aiming for!
