Last week, Christian Berg announced that he had resigned as national team manager and Become a coach in Kolstad.
Already the following week, he was ready for his first official training session with the team.
“Now there’s a new chapter being written from today and I’m happy about that,” Christian Berg stated on TV 2’s first official working day on Tuesday.
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Kegeling as national team manager?
On Wednesday, Berg will make his debut on the coaching staff with Stian Jomo and Erlind Sagosin at Kolstadt Arena. There, Kolstad, who is fifth in the REMA 1000 League, meets second place Drammen.
– It’s going to be a game at a massive pace. Lots of power and lots of ignition on both sides. Then the outgoing match will be against the incoming team manager, says Jomo.
Colstad coach targets Drammen coach and former national team player Christian Keeling. Berg will be manager of the men’s national handball team in the Gold League in March and will join Kolstad on May 1.
A new elected manager must be appointed.
DHK: Christian Keeling is Drammen coach and played for the club himself from 1998 to 2001. Photo: Javad Parsa
Was Keeling the right man for the job?
– Yes, I think so, and the same with many other people who can come in and do a good job. There is so much potential in this team. I hope the next coach takes the next step to the top. It could have been insanely good, says Berg.
Keeling has been DHK coach since 2016 and has a contract for the 2024/2025 season.
Bent Sfeli, TV 2 handball expert, believes Keeling is involved in the assessment in the appointment of a new national team manager.
– We have a tradition in Norway to recruit Norwegians. I’m sure Kristian Kjelling is a name that falls into such a heap to consider, says Svele, adding:
– Kjelling is running out on a number of things. He has an impressive career as a handball player. He has chosen to focus on his coaching career while at Drammen. It’s not much different from Christian Berg who had a career, then came home at one point and took up the coaching job at Elverum before the national team.
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One of the best players in the world
Berg wanted a joint coaching role where he could be manager of the national team and coach of Trondheim, but this was not important for the Handball Federation board of directors. An alternative plan has been worked out that could give Berg more active time as a coach in addition to serving as the national team manager. The 48-year-old chose to take over the coaching position at Kolstad.
– It’s like a completely different everyday life. I get up in the morning and look forward. I woke up earlier, had to enjoy the video for four hours and was left sitting alone. Everyone you want to talk to has a day job. You can’t connect there either, either because they’re on training or doing their own analysis. It’s been tough,” Berg told TV2 from the office outside Kolstad Arena.
He is now on the coaching staff with Stian Jomo, Erlind Sagosin and Ole Martin Viken.
“He’s one of the best coaches in the world, and bringing those eyes and ideas into a team with big ambitions for the future is Alpha Omega,” says Jomo who has the main responsibility for the defensive game.
Erlind Sagosen supports and adds what Jomo says:
– It’s like a little boy to be with. It’s a prick in the whole man. It’s so much fun, Sagosen says of the colleague.
First training: Christian Berg received his first formal training as coach of Colstadt on Tuesday. Photo: Stein Roar Leite / TV 2
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