The Montenegro Handball Federation (RSCG) have announced that the men’s senior national team coach will be coached by the former international France stalwart, Didier Dinart, who replaced Vlado Šola.

Dinart will be the 10th coach of the Montenegro men’s senior national team, and only the fifth foreign one, albeit the first coach of the side which is not coming from the area, with a big challenge on his hands, trying to improve the side which failed to qualify for the 2025 IHF Men’s World Championship, after being eliminated by Italy in the European Qualifiers, with a 66:58 aggregate loss.

“Being appointed as the head coach of Montenegro is a great honor for me. Being a coach at the international level and participating in such duels, with high stakes, is always a unique opportunity and experience more. The value of these experiences lies in the closeness developed with the players and the exchanges with other coaches at this level. These interactions help us better understand game dynamics and gain valuable information,” said Dinart for the official website of the Montenegro Handball Federation.

Dinart will bring plenty of experience for Montenegro, as he was considered one of the best defenders in handball’s history, with a great mind for the match. Born in the island of Guadeloupe, in Pointe-à-Pitre, he started handball in a local club, before moving to France in 1993, where he played three years for Dijon Bourgogne. He then spent seven years at Montpellier, before signing for Ciudad Real, where he spent nine seasons, between 2003 and 2012.

He retired in 2013, from PSG Handball, then moved into coaching, being the assistant for the France national team, between 2013 and 2016. He was promoted as the head coach in 2016, spending four years, until 2020, on the bench of one of the most successful teams in history. 

Dinart also took over for the Saudi Arabia national team for one year, between 2021 and 2022, winning the bronze medal with the Asian side at the 2022 AHF Asian Men’s Handball Championship.

“Montenegro has very high-quality players, some of whom play in top European leagues. This proximity to players at a high level requires close cooperation with the professional staff and the Federation, in order to make the best decisions. The goal is to build as competitive a team as possible. At the international level, time is limited and expectations are high. Therefore, it is crucial to be pragmatic in order to find the best combinations and exploit the potential of players in each position,” added Dinart.

Dinart will certainly bring experience to the table, being a three-time world champion as a player, in 2001, 2009 and 2011, as well as a two-time Olympic champion, at Beijing 2008 and London 2012, and a two-time European champion, in 2006 and 2010.

As a head coach, Dinart led France to a gold medal at the 2017 IHF Men’s World Championship, and two bronze medals, at the 2019 IHF Men’s World Championship and at the EHF EURO 2018.

Dinart will make his debut in the Men’s EHF EURO 2026 Qualifiers, with matches against Finland and Slovakia, this November.