After building an exceptional coaching career in women's handball, including four EHF Champions League titles and a bronze medal at the 2019 IHF Women's World Championship, Ambros Martin takes on a new challenge as he prepares Qatar for Germany 2027.

The Qatar Handball Federation has announced on Monday, 2 November, the Martin will be the new coach of the Qatar men’s national handball team, combining his national-team responsibilities with his role at Qatari club Al-Duhail, which he took over in February 2026 and led at the 2026 AHF Men’s Club Championship.

His appointment follows the departure of Veselin Vujović, who led the team at the Asian Games in 2026, sealing the silver medal, and gives Qatar a coach whose experience has largely been accumulated in the women's game. The challenge now is to transfer that knowledge to a men's national team that will try to punch their weight at the 2027 IHF Men’s World Championship, after being silver medallists in 2015.

The new coaching staff have begun their work with the players, with two friendly matches against Saudi Arabia scheduled as the first opportunity to assess the squad and introduce the new approach instilled by Martin. 

Qatar's decision to appoint another Spanish coach also recalls one of the most successful periods in the history of its men's national team, built under Valero Rivera. The former Spain coach took charge of Qatar in 2013, shortly after leading his home country to the world title, and transformed the Asian side into a major force in international handball.

Under his guidance, Qatar won their first Asian Championship in 2014 and went on to claim five consecutive continental titles between 2014 and 2022. His greatest achievement came at the 2015 IHF Men's World Championship on home soil, when Qatar became the first non-European nation to reach the final, eventually winning silver after losing to France.

Rivera remained at the helm until 2023 and returned for a second spell in August 2025, further underlining the importance of his legacy in Qatari handball. 

Born in Spain, Martín, a former handball player who played for BM Torrelavega and Portland San Antonio in his career, began his coaching career in 2003, but it was at SD Itxako Navarra that he first established himself as a major name in women's handball. During his eight-year spell at the Spanish club, started in 2004, he helped build a competitive side that challenged Europe's established powers, winning the Women’s EHF Cup in 2009 and reaching the final of the Women's EHF Champions League in 2011.

His next move proved decisive in shaping his reputation. Appointed head coach of Győri ETO KC in 2012, Martín led the Hungarian side through one of the most successful periods in its history. Győr won the EHF Champions League four times under his leadership, lifting the trophy in 2013, 2014, 2017 and 2018. The coach also collected five domestic titles and became a regular presence at the EHF FINAL4, earning recognition as one of the leading tacticians in the women's game.

But Martín also dipped his toes into national team coaching. He took charge of Romania's women's national team, guiding the side to fifth place at the EHF EURO 2016 and the semi-finals at the 2018 edition. Romania also finished 10th at the 2017 IHF Women's World Championship under his leadership.

In 2018, he moved to Russia to take charge of Rostov-Don, while his international career continued with a new assignment in August 2019, when he was appointed head coach of the Russian women's national team.

The appointment brought one of the most memorable achievements of his international coaching career. At the 2019 IHF Women's World Championship in Japan, Russia reached the semi-finals and went on to defeat Norway 33:28 in the bronze-medal match. It was the country's first bronze medal at the IHF Women's World Championship since 2009.

That was the first of four Women's World Championships at which Martín has served as head coach. His record continued with Spain at the 2023 and 2025 editions, following his earlier appearance with Romania in 2017 and Russia in 2019.

After returning to Győr in 2021 for another spell with the Hungarian powerhouse, Martín was appointed head coach of Spain's women's national team in May 2023. 

Spain finished 13th at the 2023 IHF Women's World Championship, before Martín led the team at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where they finished 12th out of 12 teams, and the 2024 EHF EURO. His final major assignment with the Spain side came at the 2025 IHF Women's World Championship in Germany and the Netherlands, where Spain finished 14th.

By 2026, Martín had already begun a new professional chapter in Qatar, as Al-Duhail SC announced his appointment as head coach, bringing him into the men's club game after a career spent predominantly in women's handball.

Qatar will feature in Group E at the 2027 IHF Men’s World Championship, alongside Sweden, Norway and Greece. Only the first three teams in the group will make it to the main round.