After eight years as Swiss national team coach, Michael Suter is about to embark on his next ambitious project as coach of St. Otmar St. Gallen. The big challenge is what appeals to him.
Michael Suter's track record in the Swiss association cannot be overestimated. First, he led the U18 to U21 teams to the top of the world. He then managed to do the same with the previously starving senior national team, with whom he took part in two European Championships and one World Championship during his eight-year tenure. "There were many highlights, the last of which was the 26:26 at the European Championships against the eventual gold medal winners France. We can be proud of that and it means an incredible amount to me," says Suter in an interview with the Keystone-SDA news agency.
Now he is taking on his next big challenge as coach of St. Otmar St. Gallen. The club was once a top address in Swiss handball, even reaching the final of the European Champions Cup in 1981 and becoming Swiss champions seven times and cup winners four times. However, St. Otmar has been waiting for its next title since winning the double in 2001. The last time the team reached the play-off semi-finals was in 2016. In addition, the club is not financially secure and the budget has been significantly reduced for this season.
Major upheaval in the squad
This can be seen in the squad. The team has undergone a major upheaval, with twelve additions and nine departures. The team is very young, with only five players not born in this century. The third oldest is Swedish goalkeeper Andreas Björkman Myhr, who was born in 1996. "We wanted and had to bring up a lot of youngsters earlier," says Suter, also because some of last year's team would not have been prepared to go through another upheaval. "Now we have to make the best of these conditions."
That's why the amount of training has been massively increased. In a normal week, there are now nine sessions on the program, six times handball and three times athletics, with strength and indoor training being combined. Training now takes place not only in the evening, but three times during the day. "We want to offer the youngsters something," says Suter. In this way, he hopes to attract more talent to St. Otmar."
Although many things are already going in the right direction, Suter is aware that his team is facing a difficult season. "It will be tougher than in other years to make the playoffs (top 8). We have to fight for every point." It is no coincidence that his commitment is long-term.
Much more than "just" a coach
Suter is also much more than just the coach of the first team. He is a member of the sports commission and is also heavily involved with the U19 team in order to implement the same mentality there as with the NLA team. Last week, he led a training session for the U13s. "It's important for me to know the juniors at all levels," says Suter. Promoting young talent is almost as important for the future of the club as the results of the first team. Suter is also involved in talks with sponsors.
His commitment extends beyond St. Otmar. He is a member of the board of the Eastern Switzerland Handball Academy, which brings together the most talented handball players from the region. It is important to Suter to promote his sport throughout Eastern Switzerland. "We have already held many discussions with all the clubs in the region in order to work with and not against each other at all levels." The aim is to ensure that top handball can still be seen in Eastern Switzerland in the long term. With his well-filled rucksack, Suter is predestined for this ambitious project.
