rapidbison42 said:But look, Lino was simply in the right place at the right time, and there is a very good reason why his name will be remembered long after he is gone. There really isn't much to debate there. Who is going to care thirty years from now if the man was a bit of a clown? Not a soul. Next to his name, they’ll have etched "World and Olympic Champion."
Still... if he is being ridiculous, let's call it what it is. He's being ridiculous.
🤮
I suppose I can agree with you on certain points, partly because I clearly don't follow handball quite as closely as you do, 🙏
If the entire coaching staff falls apart and you're left with nothing but Lino and pure patriotic fervor, a decline is almost inevitable. However, even with those odds, he managed to pull off a semi-final run at the European Championship. Given the sheer brilliance of Balić and the rest of the squad, that success has to be credited to him in some capacity. One shouldn't underestimate the power of national pride—or, more accurately, raw motivation. 😉😁
In truth, I was speaking more broadly rather than trying to defend Lino as an individual or a coach. It is always much easier to go to war from the sidelines, if you ask me—I'm talking about the journalists. It seems to be a constant in American sports journalism; everyone fancies themselves a genius, a master strategist, or a visionary. At least on paper. Personally, I only respect those who actually achieve something through hard work. Lino did exactly that, multiple times. So, even if he messes up now, even if he looks foolish, he earned his place by jumping along that sideline all those years ago.
As for all these people writing columns, including many of us here online, we haven't the slightest clue what it takes to lead a national team and win major tournaments. In America, we practically have four and a half million head coaches. 😍