Dagur Sigurðsson (born 3 April 1973) is an Icelandic handball coach and former player who is currently the head coach of the Croatian men's national team. He spent his career playing for clubs in Iceland, Germany and Japan before starting his coaching career in 2003 with Austrian team Bregenz as a player-coach.[1] Dagur later coached the Austrian men's national team, German club Füchse Berlin, where he won the DHB-Pokal and EHF Cup, the German men's national team, with whom he won the 2016 European Championship and earned the bronze medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics, and the Japanese men's national team, with whom he placed third and second at the 2020 and 2024 Asian Championship respectively.[2] Dagur became the head coach of the Croatian men's national handball team in February 2024 and led the team to a second-place finish at the 2025 World Championship. He was the IHF World Coach of the Year in 2015.
Dagur was capped 215 times and scored 399 goals for the Icelandic national team.[3] He captained the team from 1999 until his international retirement in 2005 and competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics.[1][4]
Club career
Dagur began his senior handball career at local club Valur in 1990, having passed through their youth system.[1] He won the Icelandic Championship in his first season with the club, followed by an Icelandic Cup title in 1993 and four consecutive championship titles from 1993 to 1996. Dagur joined newly-formed German club HSG LTV/WSV Wuppertal in 1996, achieving promotion to the Bundesliga in the club's inaugural season, before moving to Japanese team Wakanuga Hiroshima in 2000.[3] Dagur become the player-coach of Austrian club Bregenz in 2003, winning four national championship titles and two cup titles before retiring as a player in 2007.
International career
Dagur made his debut for the Icelandic national handball team in 1992 and was made captain of the team in 1999. He was part of the team that competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics. Dagur was capped 215 times and scored 399 goals before retiring from the national team in 2005.[3]
Coaching career
Dagur began his coaching career as a player-coach for Austrian club Bregenz upon his transfer to the club in 2003.[5][6] Following four consecutive national championship titles, he won a fifth title with the team in his first season after retiring as a player in 2008. That same year, he became the head coach of the Austrian men's national team, before joining German club Füchse Berlin in 2009.[7] Dagur led the Austrian national team to a ninth-place finish at the 2010 European Championship and left the team that year.[6] In 2014, he won the DHB-Pokal with Füchse Berlin, the club's first major trophy, and became the head coach of the German men's national team.[8][7] Dagur won the EHF Cup with Füchse Berlin in 2015 and left the team following the conclusion of the season.
Dagur won the 2016 European Championship with the German national team and earned the bronze medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics.[9][10] He left the team in 2017 to coach the Japanese men's national team, finishing third and second at the Asian Championship in 2020 and 2024 respectively.[2][3] He became the head coach of the Croatian men's national team in 2024 and placed second at the 2025 World Championship.[2][11]
Honours
Player
- Icelandic Championship: 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996
- Icelandic Cup: 1993
- Austrian Championship: 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
- Austrian Cup: 2003, 2006
Manager
- Austrian Championship: 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
- Austrian Cup: 2003, 2006
- Olympic Games
Bronze: 2016
- European Championship:
Gold: 2016
- World Championship:
Silver: 2025
Individual
- IHF World Coach of the Year: 2015
References
- ^ a b c "Dagur Sigurðsson". Sport.de (in German).
- ^ a b c "The Spin: Dagur Sigurdsson is looking for passion". European Handball Federation. 5 March 2024. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
- ^ a b c d Pinević, Dražen (10 February 2024). "Sve što dotakne pretvori u zlato, a sada će preuzeti Hrvatsku: Stiže jedan od najboljih trenera svijeta" [He turns everything he touches into gold, and now he will take over Croatia: One of the best coaches in the world is arriving]. Jutarnji list (in Croatian). Retrieved 18 February 2025.
- ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Dagur Sigurðsson". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 3 December 2016. Retrieved 14 July 2012.
- ^ Pazen, Björn. "Sigurdsson takes Germany head coach job / Article". European Handball Federation. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
- ^ a b "Croatia pull off big coup to appoint Dagur Sigurdsson". International Handball Federation. 29 February 2024. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
- ^ a b Schalling, Herbert (14 January 2015). "German handball coach still 'optimistic'". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
- ^ Pazen, Björn (12 May 2015). "A farewell to Berlin". European Handball Federation. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
- ^ Van Opdorp, Davis (31 January 2016). "Germany wins European handball championship". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
- ^ "Decisive bronze-medal win for Germany". International Handball Federation. 21 August 2016. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
- ^ ""You are crazy people" - Sigurdsson and Croatia squad return to heroes' welcome in Zagreb". International Handball Federation. 5 February 2025. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
External links
- Dagur Valdimar Sigurdsson at the European Handball Federation
- Dagur Sigurdsson at Olympics.com
- Dagur Sigurðsson at Olympedia
You must be logged in to post a comment.