Former Swedish national handball team coach Glenn Solberg is transitioning to a new sporting arena, now working with Olympiatoppen, Norway‘s national sports governing body. spotted this week at the European Curling Championships in Finland, Solberg is applying his leadership experience to a different set of athletic challenges. The move comes just over a year after a surprising departure from Swedish handball, a period marked by reported disagreements and a controversial Olympic qualifying loss, as Solberg explores new opportunities within the Olympic landscape.
Glenn Solberg, the former head coach of the Swedish men’s national handball team, is now immersing himself in a new sport: curling. He was spotted in Finland this week observing competition at the European Curling Championships as part of his new role with Olympiatoppen, Norway’s national sports governing body.
“This is a sport of fine margins, and I know how difficult it is because I’ve tried it myself,” Solberg said while watching a match featuring the Norwegian men’s team.
It’s been just over a year since Solberg unexpectedly announced his departure from the Swedish handball program with two years remaining on his contract. The Paris Olympics didn’t unfold as planned for either Solberg or the Swedish Handball Federation.
Since then, Solberg has largely remained out of the public eye, declining to fully explain the reasons behind his exit from Swedish handball. Reports have consistently pointed to disagreements with players regarding his leadership.
However, Solberg recently revealed that he was approached about a potential position with the Swedish Olympic Committee (SOK). A recruiting firm contacted him to gauge his interest in a role within the organization.
Solberg noted that he maintained a strong working relationship with SOK during his time as the Swedish national team coach. Recognizing Solberg’s expertise as a sports leader, Olympiatoppen ultimately extended an offer, bringing him back to his home country.
As of January 1, Solberg is fully employed as a coordinator between Olympiatoppen and the coaches and sports directors of four different sports: curling, soccer, badminton, and beach volleyball.
“What an incredible World Championship Sweden had, with two teams in the final,” Solberg remarked when the conversation turned to beach volleyball.
He finds his new position highly engaging.
“It’s exciting to work with elite sports and learn new sports, but it takes time to understand them and build relationships,” said Solberg, who was hired at Olympiatoppen alongside Solveig Gulbrandsen, a former soccer player with 183 international appearances and an Olympic gold medal from the 2000 Sydney Games.
At the European Curling Championships, Solberg is providing support to both Norwegian teams. The men’s team has already qualified for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, while the women’s team will travel to Canada after the World Championships to compete in Olympic qualification. He acknowledged that the women face a challenging task, as only two of the eight teams in the tournament will advance, and they will face strong competition from the United States and Japan.
Solberg earned 122 caps for Norway as a handball player. During his five years as the Swedish national team coach, he led the team to three medals: silver at the 2021 World Championships, gold at the 2022 European Championships, and bronze at the 2024 European Championships.
He still vividly remembers the heartbreaking semifinal loss to France at last year’s European Championships, where a controversial last-second free throw – a shot where the French shooter, Elohim Prandi, illegally changed his footing – secured the win for France. Despite the questionable call, the goal stood, and France ultimately prevailed in overtime.
“Something like that shouldn’t be able to happen,” Solberg said of the referees’ decision to allow the goal.
He continued:
“If we had won the semifinal, I think we would have taken gold. Denmark was completely exhausted in the final.”
While his focus is now elsewhere, Solberg continues to receive offers from European handball clubs, with recent rumors linking him to a position in Denmark.
For now, however, the Norwegian appears fully committed to unraveling the intricacies of curling.
