A historic moment for the Republic of Korea in Poland/Sweden 2023
In May 2022, the Republic of Korea took a leap of faith and installed two foreign coaches for the men’s and women’s senior teams for the first time in history.
While Kim Rasmussen was a household name and had plenty of experience in women’s handball, having previously managed Poland and Hungary for the men’s team, the chosen candidate was Rolando Freitas, an experienced coach who laid the foundation for Portugal’s emergence on the big stage, having led both the junior and senior national teams at the beginning of the last decade.
Freitas was no stranger to international handball, but his appointment came as something of a surprise for a truly conservative team. And some things always remain the same: Korea has only one member of the squad who plays outside the country at club level, right-back Kim Jin-Young, who plies his trade for Ademar León in ASOBAL, the Spanish league.
Still, ambitions are high for a side that hasn’t reached the main round of the IHF Men’s World Cup since 2009, with four straight appearances in the President’s Cup.
Two years ago, in Egypt 2021, the Republic of Korea finished 31st, winning just one match out of seven, with a young and inexperienced squad due to the covid-19 measures in the country, which prevented other players from join the squad.
This time there is more experience available and Freitas will lead by example, with a clear goal: a step-by-step improvement of a squad aiming to be back among the best.
“It’s an honor to be here and I’m really motivated to take on this challenge. I think we have completely new ideas, a nice identity and a new team that will get better and better in the future,” says Freitas to IHF.info.
After a fifth-place finish at the 2022 AHF Men’s Handball Championship, Korea needed a new challenge and Freitas was there to oversee the rebuilding of the squad. Nevertheless, the Asian powerhouse has its own style and philosophy of handball, which is quite different from the European one.
Therefore, it was only logical that the Portuguese coach would initially find it difficult to get to know the players and create a symbiosis that would help both himself to settle and the players to buy into his methods.
Fortunately, everything clicked from the first practices and Korea’s players delivered the intensity the coach asked for and more.
“After the first training sessions, I was quite impressed. The speed was so high that it was quite difficult to keep up. I needed some headache medicine, just something to keep me in a good frame of mind, jokes Freitas.
However, the Portuguese coach who helped Portugal win a silver medal at the M20 EHF EURO 2010 knew he had something good on his hands, a project that could pay off in the long term, provided the necessary patience was shown.
“We only have one player who plays in another country at club level and that is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, we lack the experience needed at this level for the World Cup. But on the other hand, we can gather more often than other teams to implement our ideas, it’s easier for us. It is helpful, adds the Portuguese coach.
But what has most impressed Freitas during his eight-month stint as Korea Republic coach?
He says that it was not necessarily the handball, but the culture that required some adaptation. But the challenge was definitely worth it.
“Talking about culture, it’s true that it’s different from Europe, but it’s something that everyone needs to experience. It’s about respect for the elderly, respect in general, which I think is very interesting. I can relate to that, says Freitas.
– From a handball point of view, I think the players bought in immediately and the intensity in each match and in each training session is high. For a coach, this is great to see.”
That intensity will certainly be tested at the 28th IHF Men’s World Championship when the Republic of Korea take on Iceland, Portugal and Hungary at the Kristianstad Arena between January 12 and 16.
All three European sides are vying for a better finish than in the previous tournament and are strong opponents for a side in the midst of a rebuild, with a new manager and new players trying to form a better unit.
The match against Portugal will certainly be special for Freitas, who knows many of the opponents, having previously coached them in the junior national team between 2005 and 2012 and then the senior national team between 2012 and 2016.
“Luck really wasn’t on our side, because the group is very, very tough. You have Hungary, who under Chema Rodríguez are starting to play better and better. You have Iceland, who are always ambitious and see a medal. And of course there is Portugal who have been excellent in recent years, says Freitas.
So what is Korea’s goal?
“To finish better than in Egypt in 2021, when we were 31st. If we can win against one of these European sides, it would be amazing, almost a miracle. But if we go out and play in the President’s Cup, I expect more than a win and a better finish.”
“We will do everything in our power to try to play well, so I expect the players to give everything,” concludes Freitas.