Cristian Ugalde is the new coach of MOL Tatabanya
MOL Tatabanya have a new coach. Former Spanish left wing Cristian Ugalde will have a chance to start coaching career in ambitious Hungarian team.
“I don’t deny it’s not easy to say after 20 seasons it’s just over. I got a lot from handball, not only as a sportsman, but also as a private person, and I can be extremely lucky to play big matches with the excellent Spanish national team and several huge clubs, and I won trophies and medals” –said Ugalde, who won the EHF Champions League as a member of FC Barcelona in 2011.
“I didn’t think I was ready to retire, but the management of MOL Tatabánya asked me if I would take the job. This is a huge thing for a beginner coach, as we are talking about the top team of one of the strongest European championships, which will also play in the main draw of the Europa League. Not many people get such an opportunity as the first assignment, and because I felt that I was ready for the job professionally, I said yes.”
“Of course, it wasn’t from the clear sky that they knew about my coaching ambitions at the club. They also knew that I was studying the profession so that when the time came, I would have the right papers. It wasn’t a secret to the guys that one day I wanted to be a coach, and I don’t think there will be a problem with the co-co-tealing transition, because on the one hand I was still the ranks of the dressing room, and on the other hand, I may not be modest if I say that my teammates respected me so much that they would accept me as a coach.”, concluded Ugalde.
MOL Tatabanya ended last season at third place in domestic Championship, just behind Telekom Veszprem and Pick Szeged.
