Martin: “These young players are really hungry”

For eight players in the Spain team, the EHF EURO 2024 marks their first major championship. There is no shortage of experience, however, with the likes of Jennifer Gutiérrez, Carmen Campos, Paula Arcos and Kaba Gassama standing out in that sense. Spain may have achieved that elusive perfect blend of experience and motivated young talents as they embark on their rebuilding journey.

“We are thinking in future,” says coach Ambros Martin. “In 2029, will be Spain for the World Championship, and we thought that, from the very, very first moment, is the time to think about the future and to use the tournament championship that we will play previously to the World Championship in Spain as experience for our young talents, and also with some other players who have been playing before.

“So, we try to make a mix between experience and quality players who already knows about the competitions and this type of championships and also with a lot of new players who are coming here for the first time, but they already show in the Spanish league or also in some other foreign clubs that they are ready and really want to be part of it.”

Following the Paris 2024 Olympics, Spain saw a string of retirements — as did many national teams that will take the court at the EHF EURO 2024. Spain had a disheartening campaign at Paris 2024, being defeated in all their matches and finishing 12th out of as many teams. The post-Olympic period has therefore presented a perfect opportunity to reconstruct the squad beyond only the players retiring, and a new generation have been ushered in for the EURO. 

“The only, let's say, conditions to be part of the Spanish team is that they really want. They really feel it. We really want to make something better than we did in the previous championship. It was not good. And then we decided, in the common agreement between us, between players and staff and also management, to make this — that if we want to come here for the national team, we need to think and to improve, every one of us, starting from myself, to make something a bit or much better than before,” says Martin.

Martin is well-known as a decorated coach, having led Györi Audi ETO KC to four of their six EHF Champions League titles, secured bronze with Russia at the 2019 World Championship, and taken Romania to the semi-finals at the EHF EURO 2018 and Rostov-Don to the EHF Champions League Women final in 2018/19. This rebuilding project with Spain is therefore something a bit different from what Martin has worked with in recent years, when he was guiding more experienced teams.

“Sometimes it’s much more difficult to work with this type of player, top players, especially when things don't go in the way you want. But now it's totally different,” says Martin. “Here we have players who need to be developed and to grow up as a player in all aspects.”

Martin started his role as Spain coach in 2023, making this his third major tournament with the team. At the 2023 World Championship one year ago, Spain placed 13th. Experienced coaches know that there is a period of adjustment with a new team, as all sides — coaching staff and players — become acquainted each other and previous ways of playing are slowly changed.

“I am a type of person and a coach that when I come new to somewhere, it's not that the question that everybody does or plays like I like. I need to adapt more to them than them to me, and just was a question of details, the things that we were working in the last year,” says Martin.

“Now, no. Now with more time, with four years, five years [outlook], long-term thinking and working, I think I can make the things inside the court and outside the court as I really want. And this group of players, took it really, really well. These young players are really hungry.”

Spain will play in group C in Basel, where they will meet Portugal, current world champions France, and Poland. With only two places in the main round up for grabs, compared to three in the previous system, Martin expects a tough challenge.

“We knew before and now that this year it’s even more difficult to go to the next round, because only two teams. [There are] more teams with a similar level than us and less teams who go for the next round. Not three, just two. And we are in a group, just France is probably over us, over all of us, but the others are very similar.

“It’s going to depend on the day. So, what we really want is to be good in these days, to feel good to play handball on those days. Not only against Portugal and Poland — it's more or less our level. Also against France, of course. But we are not thinking too much about the next — just preparing ourselves,” says Martin.

“We still need some things to improve and we are working on it before thinking too much on our opponents. So first is ourselves, and then we will think a bit and we will try to adapt to the style of the opponents.”

With the new players coming in, Spain have had the chance to change their playing style.

“We have now much power from outside shots. Before was really difficult for us to open the defence, because we don't have so many shooters. And now is this young generation, they are used to and they like to and they are effective from distance, so it's also good because then we can use our, let's say, small players who go really good for the spaces and also our pivots who are strong and big. And we will try to not to be easy for no one. Using different strategies according for a style of defence or if they take one, then we will try for the next,” says Martin. “Also, our wings are really fast and really good from the corner. So, we will try to make everything not to be easy for no one.”

Photos © EHF/kolektiff, Macedonian Handball Federation, JLRECIO