By Sports Reporter/Doha
Spring 1964 was a great time for Swedish handball. In the span of just 27 days –29 February to 26 March– two of the greatest Swedish handball players were born, and who are now the head coaches of the national team: Staffan Olsson and Ola Lindgren.
Their story of success as players began when Bengt Johansson, one of the most famous coaches in the history of handball, took over the Swedish side in 1988. He led the squad until 2004, amassing an astounding 13 medals at World and European Championships and Olympic Games. The team was named after him, and the “Bengan Boys” became legendary in terms of their style and unstoppable success.
From the start of Johansson’s mission, he nominated the talented Olsson and Lindgren who, together with Magnus Wislander, the World Handball Player of the Century, and goalkeeper Tomas Svensson, a six-time Champions League winner, were cornerstones of the “Bengan Boys”.
Lindgren and Olsson became world champions in 1990 and 1999 and led Sweden to a record four European Championship titles: 1994, 1998, 2000 and 2002. The only missing triumph was Olympic gold.
Sweden reached the final in three consecutive Games but each time left with silver, falling to the Unified Team (EUN) in 1992, Croatia in 1996 and Russia in 2000.
At club level, Lindgren and Olsson achieved their greatest successes in Germany. Olsson won 11 titles, including two EHF Cup trophies, with THW Kiel and was a Champions League finalist in 2000.
Lindgren played for Düsseldorf and Nordhorn, the team he later took over in 2003 as his first coaching assignment, leading them to the EHF Cup title.
Though they went their separate ways when their playing careers ended, they remained in close contact. Olsson took over Swedish top team Hammarby and led them to three Swedish titles. But both were shocked and disappointed in 2007 as the glory days of Swedish handball suddenly came to an end when the “Tre-Kronors” didn’t qualify for the 2007 World Championship and one year later failed to reach the Olympic tournament.
Coach Ingemar Linnell quit his post in 2008, sending the federation in search of big names who would resume the successes of earlier times and who could turn the successful junior squads, who won four World junior titles, into a strong men’s team.
They found them among the former “Bengan Boys” in the form of Olsson and Lindgren. Both agreed to take on the assignment if they could continue as club coaches.
Lindgren was still at the helm in Nordhorn and later on at Rhein Neckar Löwen (Germany), while Olsson kept his position at Hammarby until 2011 when he turned his focus entirely to the national team. Lindgren has since returned to home ground where he coaches IFK Kristianstad.
Supported by their newly appointed team manager Stefan Lövgren, another former “Bengan Boy”, Olsson and Lindgren have turned the tide, but still had to recognise that their team is on a constant roller coaster ride. When Sweden hosted the World Championship in 2011, they reached the semi-finals, but missed the final and bronze medal after defeats to France and Spain who took the gold and bronze, respectively.
Then came 2012. In June, Sweden sensationally failed in the play-offs for the 2013 World Championship after a defeat to Montenegro. But Lindgren and Olsson immediately switched to London Olympic Games mode where they became the biggest surprise, eliminating European champions Denmark in the quarter-finals and Hungary in the semis.
Until minute 58, their first Olympic gold remained in reach before they eventually succumbed to France. The story was an unhappy end for Olsson and Lindgren, who made history in becoming the only handball players who were part of four Olympic finals (three as players, one as coaches) and not winning a title.
Now they hope for a podium finish in Doha where they have a chance to take revenge for the close Olympic defeat to France right in the preliminary round.
“The knock-out stage is our clear goal, then it depends on injuries, luck and opponents, how far we will come,” said Olsson. And Lindgren will be at his side, just as he was in 1988, when their careers had begun.
