The Qatar NT head-coach Valero Rivera has got the big reinforcements with Danijel Šarić (goalkeeper) and Žarko Marković (right back), who will be addition to his squad for the upcoming World Championship 2015 in Doha. He stated for the Spanish media that decision to turndown Qatari offer last year ” would have been one of the biggest mistakes” of his life.
Like no other team, Rivera began final preparation in Spain, two months before TOP European teams, which have to wait the end of the first half of the season in European leagues. Rivera, who had fantastic achievements with FC Barcelona in the past, but also with the Spanish NT (current World title holder – 2013), praised all what he has experienced in Doha since April 2013, when he took the challenge of ambitious handball country:
– Qatar has an amazing Federation, which allows you to work and makes players available for NT. Moreover, the president is wonderful – said Rivera, writes Spanish Marca.
The first signs of Rivera’s work have been seen in the Asian Championship in Bahrein and Asian Games in Korea, where Qatari team beat two host nations in the final. That was the first home defeat for Koreans (24:21), who didn’t lose since the Olympic tournament 1988 in Seoul:
– We are starting like another preseason and we will work with a group of between twenty and twenty-four players. I’m obviously very happy with how it has worked and has played in Korea, but is a long way ahead and you have to knock on wood to avoid injuries,” stated legendary Valero.