Sébastien Gardillou takes over France's coaching position from Olivier Krumbholz

After leading France women’s senior national team in two stints, between 1998 and 2013, and from 2016 onwards, coach Olivier Krumbholz announced he was stepping down from his position after the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where France secured the silver medal.

Krumbholz, who is 65 years old, won 15 medals in major international competitions, including the gold medal at the 2003, 2017 and 2023 IHF Women’s World Championship, at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and at the EHF EURO 2018, therefore replacing him was always going to be a gargantuan task.

Therefore, the French Handball Federation (FFH) decided that Krumbholz will be replaced by his assistant, Sébastien Gardillou, who will assume the position in September and lead the side for the first time at the EHF EURO 2024, where France will be once again favourites to secure the title.

Gardillou, who just turned 49 years old, started his handball career as a player, but he was already coaching when he was 20 years old. He joined the France women’s senior national team as a video analyst in 2005, before joining French champions Metz Handball in 2010.

He returned as an assistant coach for France after the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, being Krumbholz’s right hand in every competition, and winning the World Championship twice, the gold medal at the Olympics once, the EHF EURO title once, as well as the silver medal at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and at the 2021 IHF Women’s World Championship.

“It is a huge honour to have been chosen to become the coach of this team. I had the chance to play alongside Olivier Krumbholz for years, to have been able to focus on the game and tactics, and we are ending our joint adventure as an operational and functional duo. I am very happy with this opportunity that has been given to me. I love this team, we are lucky to have talented and determined players, and I look forward to continuing the adventure with them,” said Gardillou, according to the official website of the FFH.

Gardillou was credited as the architect of the new attacking system of the France team, which brought the team a title at the 2023 IHF Women’s World Championship, where they won nine matches and the silver medal at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where they secured seven wins and lost only the final against Norway.

The new coach will make his debut in two friendly matches, scheduled for 24 and 26 October against Hungary, both to be played in France.