Martin Albertsen New Technical Director of Italy Womens’s National Teams
FIGH – Italian Handball Federation, as part of the activities concerning the women’s National Teams sector, announces the conclusion of its collaboration with Spanish coach Alfredo Rodriguez Alvarez, whose contract has naturally expired.
The Federation would like to thank Rodriguez for the work carried out at the helm of the National Team, for the professionalism he consistently demonstrated, and for the contribution he made to the development of the Italian players during a delicate phase of reorganization within the women’s sector. The Federation also wishes the Spanish coach every success in the continuation of his career and in the future sporting challenges that await him.
FIGH President Stefano Podini: “I would like to thank Alfredo Rodriguez for the excellent work carried out and for the professionalism he demonstrated during his time as Technical Director of the Italian National Teams. From the summer of 2024 until today, as his agreement with the FIGH reaches its natural conclusion, coach Rodriguez has helped bring renewed energy to the women’s national sector through a clear technical vision. The path he has traced will serve as an important guideline and foundation for the new journey we are preparing to undertake as a Federation. To Alfredo Rodriguez, I extend my sincere thanks and best wishes for the new professional challenges he is about to embrace. The doors of our Federation will always remain open to him.”
Within this context, the Federation is launching a new project phase connected to the Italian National Teams, as part of a broader technical and organizational development pathway with an international outlook.
MARTIN ALBERTSEN NEW TECHNICAL DIRECTOR OF ITALY WOMENS’S NATIONAL TEAMS
As part of the launch of a new technical and organizational project involving the women’s National Teams, FIGH – Italian Handball Federation is pleased to announce the appointment of Martin Fruelund Albertsen as Technical Director.
A 52-year-old Dane, Martin Albertsen brings extensive international experience, both at senior top-level club handball and in youth development. In the latter area, he led the Swiss women’s sector from 2018 to 2023. In addition to his role as Head Coach, between 2020 and 2023 he also directed the SHV Academy, the Swiss Handball Federation’s academy system, implementing a technical development program that played a decisive role in Switzerland’s first-ever qualification for the final stage of the EHF EURO 2022 and in establishing the Swiss national team as a consistent presence in major international competitions. Martin Albertsen will take on the role of Technical Director of the women’s national teams under an agreement that will tie him to Federhandball until December 2028. His responsibilities will also include consultancy and coordination activities related to talent identification and development, as well as the overall coordination of the women’s sector, thus continuing the work initiated during the first part of the Olympic cycle and in continuity with the direction already undertaken by FIGH on the men’s side.
PROFILE. Albertsen developed his career mainly between Denmark and Germany. After beginning his coaching career at the age of 22 with AGF Håndbold (Danish 2nd League), in 1999 he joined the staff of Viborg, one of the leading women’s clubs in Europe. After being appointed head coach in 2003, Martin Albertsen led Viborg to victory in the EHF Cup (2004), two Danish league titles and the Danish Cup. He later coached Randers – built up to winning the EHF Cup in 2010 – and Copenhagen in Denmark. Between these experiences came an important spell in Germany, where he won the Handball Bundesliga and the German Cup in 2006 as head coach of Leipzig and then, from 2014 to 2020, enjoyed another highly successful period at the helm of Bietigheim. There he won the Bundesliga in 2017 and 2019, claimed the German Super Cup twice in those same years, reached the EHF Cup final in 2017 and became a regular participant in the EHF Champions League. In 2018 he was appointed Technical Director of Switzerland, a role he held until 2023, while also overseeing the federal academy system and coaching the youth national teams. Highlights of this phase of his career include Switzerland’s qualification for EURO 2022 — the first in the country’s history for the women’s team — an eighth-place finish at the 2022 Women’s U20 World Championship, and victory at the W16 EURO Open in 2024.
He has also received prestigious individual recognition: Albertsen has been named Coach of the Year on five occasions across Denmark, Germany and Switzerland.
FIGH President Stefano Podini: “I am delighted to announce that the Federation has appointed Martin Albertsen as Technical Director, a coach with proven experience and a leading figure on the European stage. Following the path already taken with the appointment of Bob Hanning for the men’s national teams, the Federal Council intended to give an international direction to the project by relying on figures who can both encourage and consolidate the presence of our national teams at major international events — as demonstrated by the recent qualification for the World Championship — while at the same time providing a clear framework for talent development, opening the door to toplevel experiences for our most promising players. If we want to compete with the best, we need to measure ourselves against the best every week, both in training and on the court. We are convinced that a prominent figure such as Martin Albertsen can help Italian handball accelerate this process and provide a clear vision for the Italian movement, which has never been more eager to emerge on the international stage than it is today. As a Federation, we have both the duty and the determination to play our part with enthusiasm”.
Martin Albertsen: “I am thrilled to take on this new challenge with the Italian Handball Federation. Leading the Italian national team is a proud moment in my career. We have an exciting journey ahead of us, and I am fully committed to pushing boundaries and raising the level of Italian women’s handball. There is immense potential in Italian women’s handball, and my focus will be on developing our style of play, further development of established players, cultivating young talent, establishing a winning mindset and a competitive team culture. I cannot wait to get to work with the players and staff – The hard work starts now.b
