Paris (AFP)
Frenchman Emmanuel Mayonnade, head of Messina handball players and world champion with the Dutch, was crowned best coach of the world in 2019 for women's teams, the International Federation (IHF) announced on Saturday.
Metz handball coach since December 2015, Emmanuel Mayonnade (37) took the club for the first time in its history to the Final 4 of the Ladies' Champions League in May 2019 in Budapest, taking 4th place.
Became coach of the Netherlands in February 2019, he won the first world title of the Dutch in December in Japan, thus qualifying the selection for the Tokyo Olympic Games, initially scheduled for summer 2020 and postponed by one year due of the Covid-19 pandemic.
For men's teams, the award went to Denmark coach Nikolaj Jacobsen, world champion in January 2019. The titles of best player and player in the world of the year 2019 went to Danish goalkeeper Niklas Landin and Norwegian Stine Oftedal.
Since 2009, the IHF has awarded the title of best coach of the year, distinguishing male and female teams. Three other French people have already been honored by the international federation: Claude Onesta (gentlemen) in 2009 and 2010, Olivier Krumbholz (ladies) in 2010 and 2018, and Didier Dinart (gentlemen) in 2016 and 2018.
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