Glenn Solberg (born 18 February 1972) is a Norwegian handball coach and former player who is currently the coach of the Swedish national team and the assistant coach of Fjellhammer IL. Solberg won fourteen titles during his career playing for clubs in Norway, Germany and Spain. He was capped 122 times and scored 250 goals for the Norwegian national team.[1]
Glenn Solberg | |||
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Personal information | |||
Born |
Drammen, Norway | 18 February 1972||
Nationality | Norwegian | ||
Height | 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||
Playing position | Centre Back | ||
Club information | |||
Current club |
Sweden (manager) Fjellhammer IL (assistant coach) | ||
Senior clubs | |||
Years | Team | ||
1983–1992 | Reistadt IL | ||
1992–1997 | Drammen HK | ||
1997–2002 | HSG Nordhorn | ||
2002–2004 | FC Barcelona | ||
2004–2006 | SG Flensburg-Handewitt | ||
2006–2010 | Drammen HK | ||
National team | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1994–2008 | Norway | 122 | (250) |
Teams managed | |||
2014–2016 | Norway (assistant coach) | ||
2015–2019 | St. Hallvard HK | ||
2020– | Sweden | ||
2023– | Fjellhammer IL (assistant coach) | ||
Medal record |
As a coach, Solberg won the 2022 European Championship, placed second at the 2021 World Championship and finished third at the 2024 European Championship with the Swedish national team.
Solberg began his professional handball career at Reistadt IL in the early 1980s. In 1992, Reistadt and IF Sturla merged their senior teams to create the club Drammen HK.[2] With the new club, Solberg won the EHF City Cup in 1996 and the Norwegian Championship the following year.[2] In 1997, he moved to German club HSG Nordhorn, where he helped the team secure a promotion to the Bundesliga in 1999. Solberg joined FC Barcelona in 2002 and won the EHF Cup, EHF Supercup, Spanish Championship, Spanish Cup and Spanish Super Cup during a two-year spell with the club.
Solberg transferred to German club SG Flensburg-Handewitt in 2004 and won the German Cup the following year. In 2006, he returned to Drammen and won the Norwegian Championship in 2007 and 2008, and the Norwegian Cup in 2008. Solberg retired after the 2007–08 season, but following an injury crisis at Drammen in November 2009, he returned to the club and retired a second time in 2010 after winning a fourth Norwegian league title.[3][4]
Solberg made his debut for the Norwegian national team in 1994.[5] He made 122 appearances and scored 250 goals before retiring from the national team in 2008.[6][7] He represented Norway at the World Championship in 1997 and 2005, captaining the team during the latter, and the 2008 European Championship.
In 2014, Solberg became the assistant coach for the Norway men's national handball team.[8] The following year, he signed a three-year contract as head coach for the Norwegian handball club St. Hallvard HK.[9] In 2016, Solberg terminated his contract with the national team to focus on St. Hallvard following their promotion to the Norwegian premiership.[10] From 2018 to 2019, he was a part of the coaching staff at SG Flensburg-Handewitt.[6]
In 2020, Solberg became the head coach for the Swedish men's national handball team. He led the team to a second-place finish in the 2021 World Championship and won the 2022 European Championship. Solberg became the assistant coach for the Norwegian club Fjellhammer IL in 2023. Solberg and the Swedish national team placed third at the 2024 European Championship.
Drammen HK
HSG Nordhorn
FC Barcelona
SG Flensburg-Handewitt