In a surprise move by the French Handball Federation (FFHandball), Talant Dujshebaev has been appointed as the new head coach of the France men’s national team, succeeding Guillaume Gille at the helm of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games winners and the EHF EURO 2024 winners. Dujshebaev will take over immediately and his apppointment opens a new chapter built around one of the top coaches in modern handball.

The French Handball Federation confirmed Dujshebaev’s appointment during a press conference at the Maison du handball on Tuesday, where Guillaume Gille officially announced stepping down  from his position. This change follows an underwhelming sequence of results for France: a dramatic quarter-final exit at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games against Germany in extra-time, a bronze medal at the 2025 IHF Men’s World Championship and a seventh-place finish at the EHF EURO 2026, where France fell short of the semi-finals.

Dujshebaev becomes the thirteenth head coach in the history of the France men’s national team and only the fourth to occupy the position over the last 25 years, after Claude Onesta, Didier Dinart and Gille. His debut will come on 16 March, leading France into a double friendly clash against Spain, followed by the crucial qualification tie for the 2027 IHF Men’s World Championship against Czechia.

During the press conference, FFHandball president Philippe Bana underlined both the need for change and the respect for the work carried out by Gille since 2020. “The press conference today follows the EHF EURO 2026, where our team missed the last step towards the semi-finals; a poor performance for our Bleus,” he said. 

“It was necessary to take the time to analyse. I asked for a deep debrief, with all possible solutions on the table, with Pascal Bourgeais, who followed the campaign from inside, and with Guillaume Gille, whom we met after the end of the EURO. This led to Guillaume’s stepping down, and I thank him for his constant commitment since 2020.”

Bana emphasised that the federation was looking for a profile capable of energising a team that he described as “arythmic”. “In parallel, we drew up the identikit of the coach capable of producing an electroshock with this team. We were looking for a coach close to the court, who has already managed national teams and who knows the path of major competitions. I am delighted that Talant Dujshebaev, who was at the top of this shortlist, is joining us.”

Recognised as one of the great modern handball minds, Dujshebaev first made his mark as head coach of BM Ciudad Real, leading the Spanish club to multiple domestic titles and three EHF Champions League trophies in 2006, 2008 and 2009. Since 2014 he has been in charge of Polish powerhouse Industria Kielce, with whom he added another EHF Champions League title in 2016 and reached further finals in 2022 and 2023, strengthening his reputation as a coach capable of consistently competing at the highest level. Dujshebaev also led Kielce at the IHF Men's Club World Championship in 2016 and 2022, when they finished third, as well as in 2023, when they were fourth.

On the international stage, Dujshebaev has already held national-team roles with Hungary and Poland, guiding both to major tournaments including the Olympic Games and IHF Men’s World Championships. His experience in managing different cultures and generations is seen by France as a key asset in sustaining the team’s presence among the global elite while renewing its core.

As a player, Dujshebaev was the IHF Male World Player of the Year in 1994 and 1996, a gold medallist at the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games, a bronze medallist at the Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, as well as a world champion in 1993.

For Dujshebaev, who has combined a brilliant playing career with an equally impressive coaching trajectory, taking over France is both an honour and an ambition fulfilled. “It is really an honour for me to coach the French team,” he said. “It is even something I wanted more than anything, because France has an outstanding generation of players. My objective with these players is very simple: to win everything, to dominate again, especially Germany and Denmark. I am very proud that my profile caught the eye of the French federation, and very, very proud to have been chosen for this project.”

Arriving at the head of France in January 2020, Gille leaves behind an impressive record in charge of the national team. Over 110 matches, he recorded 85 wins, three draws and 22 defeats, collecting two major titles as head coach: gold at Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and the EHF EURO 2024 trophy in Germany. Under his leadership, France also claimed silver at the 2023 IHF Men’s World Championship and bronze at the 2025 edition, reaffirming their status as a perennial medal contender.

Gille had taken over after a disappointing EHF EURO 2020 (13th place) and immediately restored France to the top step of the podium, adding to his own illustrious past as a double Olympic champion and multiple world and European champion as a player. While the last three tournaments did not yield another final, fourth at EHF EURO 2022, quarter-final exit at Paris 2024 and seventh at EHF EURO 2026, the overall balance of his tenure remains one of continuity at the highest level.