Toni Gerona's experience coaching the Irish Men's National Team

Photos credit: OHI

Toni Gerona, a professional handball coach with experience at European, African and Middle East regions, played a pivotal role, not only in the big clubs such as FC Bacelona, Eljaish Handball Club from Qatar, C'CMHB from France or national teams of Tunisia and Serbia, but in Ireland too.

As an experienced coach in the sport, he brought valuable expertise and insight to the Irish handball scene, contributing to its growth and evolution during his short tenure as the head coach back in 2012. 

We had the opportunity to speak with him and gain insight into his short experience and impactful involvement in Irish handball. Don't miss the chance to explore further by reading the full interview.

While being part of the coaching staff at Barcelona Club, Toni Gerona coached the Irish men's national team too. However, what motivated him to take on the responsibility of coaching Ireland's team, and what were the impressions of the level and situation at that time?

Well, the motivation basically came from the contact that was established through Xavier O’Callaghan, who had been a player for the Dream Team, who had won European Cups with the Spanish national team, with Barça and Olympic medal. He, being O’Callaghan, his ancestors are Irish and at that time, he was the manager of the handball section.

So, he told me that the Irish national team is coming through the contact to have an experience there in Barcelona. He communicated to me at that time that they were looking for someone to help them.

And well, I wanted to improve my English and thought it was a good opportunity too. He knew the people, and they were very passionate, with a lot of desire to learn, to progress. In my case, the motivation was also to have the opportunity to have an experience abroad, to play international matches . It was clear that it was a good opportunity.

The impression when I arrived, obviously, there was no regular league, the level was very low, there were two or three clubs that basically provided players. There were some Irish players who were playing in Germany, and those were the ones who gave a little more level to the team.

At that time, the federation organized a whole staff with a psychologist, with Stephen Mc Ivor, through Lúcás Ó’Ceallacháin, because he had a lot of contacts. He brought in a lot of people from rugby. We tried to bring in players who might not be top level for hurling, but who could help handball. A series of strategies were made that I was really comfortable with at the time we were working together, but obviously there were the limitations of not having players who worked daily in their clubs.

Weren't you scared by the situation in Ireland?

No, not at all, because there was nothing to lose. I knew I was at Barcelona, I was in the best club I could be, and this was just one more experience. It really strikes you, impresses you at the beginning, going to train with the team and each player comes with a different shirt. Or that there is no material, or that the facilities do not have the regulatory measures. There were people very involved, with a lot of desire to work. I think we made a really nice workgroup, we had a good time together.

When you came to Ireland, what did you think you could achieve with the team, and what level of performance did you believe you could reach at some point?

The objective was clear, to give some order. That the team played with some sense, that there was a structure in the game. It wasn't just playing freely, there were a series of common rules that everyone followed. There was discipline, almost creating a team.

Up to that moment, the team played, but without very clear order, without knowing what high performance was. And little by little, entering that level and making the team capable of competing.

At first, the first match against Belgium, Estonia, or against Israel, let's see if we can compete for 15 minutes. The next championship or the next test in the next few months, let's see if we can compete for 30 minutes. Let's see if we can compete for 40 and so on, until we were able to compete for a full game.

Regarding the players, were they coming to training in a large number?

Yes, always. Every time we trained, except for those who were in Germany. There were two or three in the third or fourth Bundesliga. They only came when there was competition or when it was IHF week, a few days before, to do the pre-competition training. All the players who were in the club area, or who were relatively close, the attendance was always maximum.

How was the interaction with the players during your time as a coach?

Very positive. The truth is that the players were very eager to learn. For them, well... having a professional coach who could explain a little about the operation and the daily work, I believe there was very good progress. In fact, we played some friendly matches with Belgium, which we lost. I don't know if it was by 15 goals or by many. After a year of working together, in a match we played in Ireland, at halftime we were only losing by 3 goals, and in the end, we ended up losing by 6 or 7. The progression of the team was clearly seen, and obviously, the players were working hard and seeing that progression. I think it was also a very good experience for them.

I read an article about you in the European Handball Federation website, regarding the mental support and team spirit you instilled in the Serbian national men's team while you were the head coach. How did you initially perceive this aspect in Ireland compared to when you left?

Well, I believe that in Ireland, from that perspective, it was somewhat simpler for one reason. With the Serbian national team, you have  players who are professionals and play in teams across Europe, such as in Portugal, France, Romania, and Germany.

So, in this case, when you already have players at a certain level, what you need to achieve is for everyone to follow a common work pattern. They need to be able to follow instructions. In this case, they need to put their individual quality in the service of the collective.

With the Irish players, I think it was the opposite. The collective helped to improve their individual quality. That is, knowing what the team is going to do for me allowed me to address my weaknesses in terms of strength or technique in individual practices and so on. And I know that if I make a mistake in this, the team will correct it or help me out.

So, I think the idea with the Irish was to create teamwork while also gradually improving the work and individual quality of the players. I believe these are two different perspectives when it comes to work.

When I took over the Serbian national team, I didn't have to worry about whether a player jumps higher or fakes better at a strong or weak point because their professional club works on that. I have to focus on the collective. In contrast, with the Irish, while we worked on the collective, there was always a part of the work dedicated to the individual improvement of the player because, obviously, their club didn't have that kind of setup.

During your time in the Irish handball scene, what challenges did you face?

Above all, having to work with players on a daily basis. That is, when you work with a selection, you almost end up depending on the work of the clubs. If you have players from Paris Saint-Germain, from Barça, from Kiel, it is much easier than if you have players who do not have regular training, who do not have high-level competition. That is really the problem in Ireland. There is no regular competition.

Normally, the selection always ends up being a reflection of the clubs. So when the clubs do not have demanding competition every week, it ends up being difficult for the players to maintain a high level in an international match for a long time. You can maintain yourself for a while, but there are always five or ten minutes when the team drops a lot and then it can rise again. 

Also, the fact that there were very few players to choose from. We talk about the Irish selection, but you really selected between 40 or 50 players. There are not 2,000 to choose from.

The motivation of the players was good. Within the possibilities that the federation had, it provided us with the facilities to train or the material, and there was simply the problem that the level of the players, in the vast majority, was a level that did not have high competition on a daily basis. So, there is no demand, they do not have the capacity to play at a high level for a long time.

Basically, it was that, having the possibility of trying to get the players in their daily lives in the clubs to improve. I think that had to be the next step. The clubs, that there is training for the coaches, that they have the ability to improve on a daily basis, and that each day the league in Ireland grows in the number of teams and in the quality of the teams, of course.

How was the decision to end the Irish experience made?

Well, they had economic problems. They only paid me each time I went for activities and such. Every 15 days I had to fly there, and the hotel had to be paid.

With that same energy, whether I wanted it or not, for about a year and a half, I was there every 15 days. When we played at home with Barcelona, we played on Saturday, so on Sunday morning, I took a flight at 5 AM with Aer Lingus and flew to Dublin. We trained on Sunday morning, Sunday afternoon, and also on Monday. Then, on Tuesday morning, I flew back to Barcelona to continue with the week, with my work in the office, at the club, and with the team. There were many trips, and obviously, one also gets tired.

There were a series of expenses that I understand the federation couldn't meet at that time, and they couldn't continue with this project. I don't know if some sponsor also failed. Some staff members began to leave after two years of work, or a year and a half because they were completely amateurs, and they couldn't dedicate the necessary time. And well... at that moment, I also believed that I had completed my stage and that it was time for someone else to come after me.

It was a few months of a lot of travelling, but again, I remember it with a lot of affection, and Chris O'Reilly, whom I always meet at European Championships or World Championships. I really hold him and all the players who participated in high regard.

What measures do you believe Ireland could take to aid their team in achieving improved results when they decide to rebuild the national team, given its current absence?

I believe it all starts with schools. They need to ensure that handball is played in schools and establish a school league. This school league should then progress to junior league, then youth league, and senior league. If we only focus on senior players, it's very challenging because there will never be enough players. They need to ensure that handball is played in schools.

To achieve this, one thing we did at the federation in terms of promotion was to go to universities to train future teachers. If the teacher arriving at a school doesn't know the sport, they will never teach it. Handball, or Olympic handball as they call it there, is not a sport that people are familiar with. It needs to go to universities and provide training, materials, and sessions. It needs to explain how the game is played and provide exercises. If they don't have balls, how will they play? There's always a field for football or other sports. If you can provide them with materials, provide training to coaches, and give them exercises to do with students, this will undoubtedly lead to more participants. When there are more participants, you can organize a league. It needs to start from the bottom instead of trying to fix things from the top, in my opinion.

Currently, Olympic Handball Ireland (OHI) has begun to change its strategy since COVID finished. They are focusing on schools, but there is still no strategy for a junior league.

There's nothing in place right now, of course. But what needs to be done, even if they are promoting handball in schools, without a tournament, championships, or leagues for children to play in, it's very difficult. If all the children aged 12, are playing in a league now, then when these children turn 14, move to the next category. If the same kids continue, another league can be formed, and so on gradually. 

It's not something that will yield results in one or two years. It has to be a long-term plan, I would say, extending over 15 years. Someone to come to have the financial support to provide training, materials, send coaches to schools, etc. Clearly money needs to be invested because otherwise, it's very difficult.

Do you have any message for the Irish members and current players who are still committed to the sport?

As I always said, I felt very good in Ireland. I had the opportunity to spend some truly incredible months there, and I look forward to going back. And obviously, cheer up. As I always said, if I can help in any way Irish handball, I'll be delighted to do so.

As we conclude our interview, Toni Gerona's insights have not only explained the national team's situation during the 2012/2013 period but also highlighted the broader Irish handball environment.

We are thankful for the time he graciously dedicated to speaking with us and for sharing his valuable experience and knowledge. At the same time, we deeply appreciate his hard work and the significant impact he has had on Irish handball and its players.

We wish him continued success in his coaching career and all his future projects.