Morten Soubak takes over Austrian champions

Morten Soubak takes over Austrian champions

The search for a new coach did not last long at the reigning holders of the Women's Cup Winners' Cup, as Hypo NÖ announced a contract with Danish coach Morten Soubak slightly more than two weeks after their final triumph against Issy Paris Handball.

Soubak will replace András Németh at the helm of the record Austrian champions and eight-time winners of the EHF Champions League and its precursor, the Champions Cup. The 49-year-old will also continue as the head coach of the Brazilian national team. The decision of signing Soubak seems to be very logical as eight of the South American champions were wearing the Hypo jersey last season.

After stints with Danish clubs GOG Svendborg and FC Copenhagen, Soubak moved to Brazil where he coached the men's team of Pinheiros. In 2009 he accepted an offer from the national federation to lead the women's team.

He steered Brazil to several international successes - at the last World Championships in 2011 on home court, his players only narrowly missed the semi-final and finished fifth. At the London Olympics, the Brazilians won their group, but were eliminated by eventual winners Norway in a very tight quarter-final contest.

"In the last two years Morten recorded some great results with the Brazilian team. At Hypo NÖ he has an opportunity to reach similar achievements on a club level against the top clubs of Europe," manager Karl-Heinz Graßmann said. Hypo will enter the Women's EHF Champions League again next season.