One day prior to the semi-finals in Barcelona, the International Handball Federation invited all accredited media to a press conference with all four coaches of the semi-finalists and IHF President Dr Hassan Moustafa, Competition Manager Leon Kalin, Vice-President Miguel Roca and General Secretary Joel Delplanque. The press conference, which was visited by around 100 Journalists and several TV-teams, started with some facts and figures concerning the 23rd World Championship in Spain, which were mentioned by IHF President Dr Hassan Moustafa and by Competition Manager Leon Kalin. Both stressed in their speeches, that they were very satisfied with the organization and the media coverage of this tournament. Further facts and figures of the World Championship will be distributed by the IHF on 27 January 2013, the final day of the World Championship, before the Award Ceremony of the 2012 World Handball Players of the Year, Alexandra Nascimento (Brazil) and Daniel Narcisse (France) will be staged in Palau San Jordi, Barcelona.

Just before the second part of the press conference started another major topic was on the agenda: The Award Ceremony for the IHF World Handball Coaches of the Year awarded to Ulrik Wilbek (Denmark, Men’s Team) and Thorir Hergeirsson (Norway, Women’s Team) by IHF President Dr Hassan Moustafa. Followed by a lot of cameras and photographers Dr Moustafa handed over the trophy and the certificate to the two successful coaches.

After that the floor was opened to the coaches of the four best teams of this competition. All the four coaches gave their comments on the upcoming semi-finals on Friday night in Palau San Jordi in Barcelona.

Here are their statements:

Boris Denic (Slovenia): If someone would had told me that before this tournament, that my team will go to the semi-finals I would have sweetly laughed. It is the first time for Slovenia to be part of a semi-final of a World Championship. We are going to play against the host Spain, so we know very well what we have to expect. But nevertheless it will be a great experience.

Valero Rivera (Spain): Tomorrow we will have a wonderful atmosphere in a full house. I am very proud to go to the semifinal in my hometown, where I lived all my life. Nevertheless it will be a big pressure for me and my team, but it is exactly the pressure that we desired. It will be a very difficult match for us. I have a lot of respect for the Slovenian team, and all of us will take the match very serious. But it will be a great event – for us, for the media and for the people.

Slavko Goluza (Croatia): The Croatian team came to this tournament with a strong believe in itself. We know that we can achieve everything. We have a young team, because we do this team without two or three experienced players. But the best player I know is always the team. Nevertheless the favorite for tomorrow is the Danish team and their honorable coach Ulrik Wilbek.

Ulrik Wilbek (Denmark): Our competitor from Croatia is in a very interesting development. It is always nice to see, when colleagues make a team better – and even make it a team. Croatia beat Spain in the preliminary round and they also beat the defending champion France in the quarterfinal. But we will see, whether we will find a way to beat them tomorrow.