Stefan Madsen to leave Aalborg after 10 years!
After more than 10 years at the club, including the last five and a half years in the role of head coach, Stefan Madsen has chosen to end the cooperation with Aalborg Handball a year before the contract expires in order to seek new paths in his career after the end of the current season. The decision to stop was finally made at the weekend after consultation with Aalborg Handball’s director Jan Larsen, after which Aalborg Handball has chosen to comply with the wish to end the collaboration at the end of the season.
– I have now had the privilege of being part of the club for many years, both as assistant and head coach, and you are constantly in a process where you evaluate yourself, just as Jan and I have always had a close relationship over the years dialogue about the state of affairs. Lately, the idea of trying something new has been in my mind, a thought that grew bigger and has now been translated into action. Everyone needs new impulses at regular intervals, this applies both to the club, the players and in this case myself. After the period that has just ended with several important matches, I have therefore, after consultation with my family, chosen that after the summer holidays I will try my hand at something new. Where the decision will take me is not yet clear. – However, there is nothing I would rather do than end my time in Aalborg Handball with another Danish championship, as well as hopefully a place in the Final 4 in the Champions League, so I will do everything to finish in the best possible way, says Stefan Madsen.
Director Jan Larsen has taken Stefan Madsen’s decision into account and is now beginning the search for a new head coach who can take over the helm of the club from the 2024/25 season.
– Stefan is undoubtedly the most successful coach in the club’s history. He has led us to three Danish championships, two cup titles, three Super Cup titles and a place in the final at Final 4 in the Champions League, so of course you have to digest such an announcement. Having said that, we have great understanding for the decision, which we of course fully respect, just as we are absolutely sure that Stefan will deliver a 100 percent dedicated effort for the club for the rest of the season. As a result of all this, we have immediately started a series of investigations to find a new head coach who can take over from the coming season. As a club, we are fortunately a place where we ourselves believe that, as a result of our set up and resources, we should be an attractive destination for handball coaches in most of the world. Therefore, we also hope and believe that we can have a competent replacement ready within a short time, says Aalborg Handball director Jan Larsen.
Aalborg Handball is in first place in the domestic Men’s League after 22 rounds, where with 39 points they have a five-point lead over Fredericia HK with four rounds left in the regular season. In the Machineseeker EHF Champions League, Aalborg Handball is placed in second place in the group stage with two rounds to go and is already guaranteed qualification for the round of 16 of the tournament.
If second place in the group can be maintained, it will mean direct advancement to the quarter-finals.
