Mark Bult, 44, was due to make his debut as coach of the Netherlands men’s handball team against Finland in Den Bosch, followed by a European Championship qualifying match in Lithuania. Croatia is also in the qualifying group. Bult, appointed until 2028, said the team needs to show more passion after it missed next year’s World Championship by losing a playoff to Greece, and said he wants a firmer approach while remaining open to players’ views.

Bult said the Netherlands must qualify for the European Championship, where a top-10 finish would secure a place in an Olympic qualifying tournament. He said he wants to add unpredictability to the team’s attacking play, including possible tactical changes, while retaining its fast style. He also said Luc Steins had been given too much responsibility in attack under the previous coach, Staffan Olsson, and that he intends to take a more prominent role in making decisions during time-outs.