Brondby, Denmark, November 13, 2018. Volleyball Denmark have appointed a new head coach for the men’s national team. After successfuly filling the position as the assistant coach for the men's national team, the former star player Kristian Knudsen was promoted to lead the Danes in the future.
He is taking over after Mikael Trolle, who has decided to leave Volleyball Denmark after 28 years in the National Federation, including 16 years and 342 matches at the helm of the men's national team.
”I am really happy and proud that Volleyball Denmark shows me confidence and gives me the opportunity to be the head coach of the national team. That means a lot for me,” says Knudsen. ”I am looking forward to a new challenge, where I am going to try to push our very talented players to an even higher level on the court. I have always looked forward to going home to Denmark. It has always been a pleasure to play with and coach the national team.”
The President of Top Volleyball Denmark, Thomas Bro-Rasmussen, commented: ”I am really happy that Kristian Knudsen has said yes to the offer for the head coach position. It is important to maintain the work with our men’s national team, where Kristian has learned from one of the very best for the last two years.”
The new head coach of Denmark is looking forward to the new challenge: ”I have been so lucky to work together with Mikael Trolle for the last two years. He stood closest to the court, but he gave me a lot of responsibility as assistant coach. Of course, I still have a lot to learn, but I am ready to take the side line,” Knudsen adds.
First challenge for him will be the European Championship Qualification matches against Finland and Romania in January. ”Unfortunately we lost the two first matches against good opponents, so we have to win the last two matches to qualify for the Final Round. It will be hard, but we are all in. And I have a couple of ideas on how to make it. Time will show whether we will succeed or not. Luckily, we have some good guys who like to train and play,” says Kristian, whose contract is fixed until January with the intention to extend it afterwards.
As a player, Kristian Knudsen played in Qatar, France, Germany, and Belgium. In 2007 he won the CEV Champions League with Germany's VfB FRIEDRICHSHAFEN. Kristian was also the captain of the Danish national team that sensationally qualified for the Play-offs at the 2013 CEV Volleyball European Championship held in Poland and Denmark.