The Hungarian Handball Federation (MKSZ) has appointed László Sótonyi as head coach of the men's senior national team on a three-year deal, just days after leading the junior side to M20 EHF EURO 2026 gold.

Announcing the decision, the president of the Hungarian Handball Federation, Ferenc Ilyés, said the federation moved quickly once Sótonyi's name came up, expressing confidence that the coach can carry the work and success he built across multiple youth generations through to the senior team. Sótonyi's time in charge of the junior side comes to an end with immediate effect, with a new junior coaching staff to be appointed once the summer younger age competitions conclude.

The new coach will replace Chema Rodriguez, who led Hungary between 2022 and 2026, before the national team conceded a 61:62 aggregate loss against Serbia in the Qualification Europe - Phase 3 for the 2027 IHF Men's World Championship, missing out on a place at the world handball flagship competition. Rodriguez had previously led Hungary to two quarter-finals appearances at the IHF Men's World Championship, in 2023 and 2025.

Sótonyi takes charge on the back of the biggest achievement of his coaching career to date: gold at the M20 EHF EURO 2026 with Hungary's junior men team, secured just a week ago. It continues a run of strong results with the age-group side, having previously led the same generation to silver at the 2023 IHF Men's Junior World Championship.

As a player, Sótonyi won 190 caps and scored 518 goals for Hungary between 1990 and 2001, reaching the 1992 Olympic quarter-finals and a fourth-place finish at the 1997 IHF Men's World Championship, alongside five Hungarian league titles and four Hungarian Cups with Veszprém KC. His coaching career has spanned club spells at Nagykanizsa, Százhalombatta, Fehérvár KC, Balatonfüred and Csurgó, an earlier stint in charge of the Hungary men's national team from 2014-2016, and, since 2018, a dual role as men's department manager at the National Handball Academy and head coach of the men's junior national team - a tenure that produced the 2023 World Championship silver and this year's European title.

"For a coach, this is the peak in this profession. I once dreamed of reaching this peak, which I have now achieved. I am aware of the difficulties of this challenge, but the work I have done so far will provide important support in overcoming them. I have ideas about what kind of work I would like to do with the national team," said Sótonyi for the website of the Hungarian Handball Federation.

"I am aware that the adult field is different from the junior, also because the front of the field is very dense, the conditions are very even, nuances decide. We are a step behind because our rivals play a lot of matches at the World Championship, which is out of our reach. In the coming period, it will be particularly important for me to map out the team very thoroughly, I would also like to establish a very good relationship with the clubs, so that I can monitor the work and competition of the national team players."

Sótonyi's promotion from junior to senior head coach mirrors the route already taken on the women's side of Hungarian handball. Vladimir Golovin took charge of Hungary's senior women's team in 2021, having spent the previous three years leading the junior national team - a transition the federation will be hoping produces similarly positive results for Sótonyi and the men's senior side.