Christian Berge confirms: Will be Kolstad coach
Christian Berge (48) has finished as national team manager after this season. This is announced by the Norwegian Handball Association in a press release. Berge confirms that he is now on his way to Kolstad as a coach.
– We are in dialogue. It is a desire of both parties to make it happen. It is clear, says Berge to VG. He has been linked to Kolstad’s major investment since it became known last year.
– You expect to train Kolstad from the summer?
– Yes, we at least want to make it happen, Berge answers. Kolstad’s general manager Jostein Sivertsen informs VG that no contract has been written, but that the club is now in contact with Berge.
– Well, he will eventually become available on the market and then we must start a dialogue on whether it is possible to reach the goal with it, Sivertsen says to VG.
– A difficult situation. But I think we have solved it as best we can. For Norwegian handball, for Christian and for Kolstad, says handball president Kåre Geir Lio to VG.
Christian Berge (48) has been the handball boys’ national team manager since 2014, with some great success. The contract with the Norwegian Handball Association (NHF) lasted over the World Cup in 2025.
– The longing to stand on the floor with my layer every single day is great. The feeling has grown bigger and bigger lately, and I think I need a daily work to be as sharpened as possible in my job. Therefore, I have now informed NHF that the time has come for me to become club coach again, says Berge in the press releases.
– We have respect for the fact that Christian wants this. At the same time, it is clear from the Federal Board’s side that our national team managers can not have another coaching job in top handball, says Kåre Geir Lio. Berge will finish at NHF by the end of April.
– Can you say something if you want a Norwegian coach?
– It’s too early to say. But we are very happy to build in Norway, Lio answers.
Elverum’s two successful coaches, Børge Lund and Michael Apelgren (now Sävehof), plus Drammen’s Kristian Kjelling, are names already mentioned. Well, NHF must «define the national team coach in 2022» and announce the work.
– We have not discussed names. These are all good names and there are probably more, says Lio to VG.
Kolstad is investing heavily. Already this summer, the Norwegian national team players Torbjørn Bergerud, Magnus Gullerud, Vetle Eck Aga and the Icelander Janus Dadi Smarason and Sigvaldi Gudjónsson will join the club, while Norway stars Sander Sagosen, Gøran Johannessen and Magnus Abelvik Rød will move to Trondheim in 2023.
Christian Berge has been national team manager since 28 February 2014. He took over from Robert Hedin on a short-term contract, failed to lead Norway to the World Cup, but phased out the coaching job in Elverum later in the year and became national team manager full time.
The success came years later. Norway finished fourth during the European Championships in Poland in 2016, and broke through too fully with World Cup silver in 2017. After 7th place in the European Championships 2018, Sander Sagosen & co. a strong World Cup and took on new silver in 2019.
The European Championships partly at home in 2020 became a new success with bronze for Norway.
Berge’s team did not quite follow up the success with losses in the quarterfinals both in the World Cup and Olympics 2021. The European Championships in January ended with 5th place after European Championship winner Sweden prevents the Norwegian semifinals in an extremely dramatic end to the main round.
Christian Berge has led the Norwegian national team in 148 matches.
– We are very grateful for everything he has done in the eight years he has been national team manager. He has taken the Handball guys to heights we hardly dared to dream of. Therefore, we are sorry that this chapter is now nearing its end, says Secretary General Erik Langerud, who is the Trondheimer’s closest leader in NHF.
The handball boys qualified with 5th place in the European Championships for next year’s World Cup in Sweden and Poland and thus avoid playing World Cup qualification in April.
Norway is scheduled to play the Golden League in Denmark in March. It will be Christian Berge’s last matches with the national team. Opponents are strong: Denmark (17.3), France (19.3) and Spain (20.3).