Daniel Costantini
{{short description|French handball player (born 1943)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2024}}
{{Infobox handball biography
| name = Daniel Costantini
| image = Daniel Costantini 20141119.jpg
| caption = Constantini on November 19th, 2014
| fullname =
| nationality = French
| birth_date = {{Birth-date and age|19 November 1943}}
| birth_place = Marsielle, France
| death_date =
| height =
| position = Centre back / left back
| nickname =
| currentclub =
| clubnumber =
| youthyears1 =
| youthclubs1 =
| years1 = 1959-1973
| clubs1 = Stade Marseillais Université Club
| nationalyears1 = 1965–1968
| nationalteam1 = France
| nationalcaps1 = 6
| nationalgoals1 =
| manageryears1 = 1973-1985
| managerclubs1 = Stade Marseillais Université Club
| manageryears2 = 1985-2001
| managerclubs2 = France
| ntupdate =
| medaltemplates =
{{MedalOlympics}}
{{MedalBronze| 1992 Barcelona |Team}}
{{MedalWorldChampionships}}
{{MedalGold|1995 Iceland|}}
{{MedalGold|2001 France|}}
{{MedalSilver|1993 Sweden|}}
{{MedalSilver|1997 Japan|}}
}}
Daniel Costantini (born 31 October 1943) is a French former handball player and coach. He is widely regarded as one of the best handball coaches of all time.{{cite web |url=https://www.ihf.info/MediaCenter/News/NewsDetails/tabid/130/Default.aspx?ID=452 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100910232850/https://www.ihf.info/MediaCenter/News/NewsDetails/tabid/130/Default.aspx?ID=452|date=26 August 2010|accessdate=19 February 2010|title=User's voting: Costantini best coach ever|publisher=International Handball Federation|archive-date=10 September 2010}} In 1995, he led the French national team to their first ever gold medal, when he won the World Championship as the head coach.
In 2001, he was made a knight of the French Legion of Honour.{{cite web|url=https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/jorf/id/JORFTEXT000000769691|title=Décret du 14 mars 2001 portant nomination|publisher=Journal officiel de la République française|date=15 March 2001|language=fr}} On April 30, 2023, he was inducted into the French national team Hall of Fame.{{cite web |title=L'équipe de France inaugure son Hall of Fame |url=https://handnews.fr/2023/edf-m-lequipe-de-france-inaugure-son-hall-of-fame/ |publisher=HandNews |date=2023-04-30 |accessdate=2023-05-01|language=fr}}
Playing career
At the age of 16 he joined Stade Marseillais Université Club{{cite web |url=https://www.lamarseillaise.fr/sports/autres-sports/48855-l-essentiel-personne-n-attendait-le-smuc-a-ce-niveau-la |title=Daniel Costantini: Personne n'attendait le Smuc à ce niveau-là |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160825234215/https://www.lamarseillaise.fr/sports/autres-sports/48855-l-essentiel-personne-n-attendait-le-smuc-a-ce-niveau-la|publisher=La Marseillaise|language=fr|date=25 May 2016|accessdate=19 February 2025|first=Rudy|last=Chabannes|archive-date=25 August 2016}} where he won the 1962 French Junior championship. After breaking through on the first team he won the 1965, 1967, and 1969 French championship.
Between 1965 and 1968, he played 6 matches for the French national team.{{cite web |url=https://car.fr/archives/et/7diam/internationaux.htm |title=LES INTERNATIONAUX FRANCAIS |website=car.fr |language=fr |accessdate=2022-08-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210125110516/https://car.fr/archives/et/7diam/internationaux.htm |archive-date=2021-01-25 }}
After he injured his cruciate ligament in 1966, the doctors accidentally removed his meniscus. This made him miss the 1967 World Championship, and over time the persistent knee pain would cause his early retirement at age 29.
Coaching career
After retiring at the age of 29 in 1973 he became a coach at Stade Marseillais Université Club. Here he won the French championship in 1975 and 1985 and the French Cup in 1976.
In 1985 he became the head could of the French national team. At the 1987 Mediterranean Games he won silvermedals.
AFterwards he started calling up the younger generation including, Philippe Gardent, Pascal Mahé and Frédéric Volle, which over time became a dominant in international handball. At the B-World Championship in 1989 he and the French team finished 5th, which qualified them for the 1990 World Championship. Through a 9th place, he qualified France for the 1992 Olympics.
In Barcelona, he won bronze medals with the French team, lead by a 21 year old Jackson Richardson. This was the first ever French medal at a major international tournament.
In 1993 he won silver medals at the 1993 World Championship, losing to Russia in the final.
In 1995 he won France's first ever gold medal at a major international tournament, when he won the 1995 World Championship.
Two years later he won bronze medals at the 1997 World Championship. Once again he was noted for integreting a group of young players including the brothers Guillaume and Bertrand Gille.
At the 2001 World Championship at home, he one his second World Championship gold medal, before retiring. He was replaced by Claude Onesta.
At the end of his tenure, France had cemented its place as one of the best national teams in the world.
At a poll hosted by the International Handball Federation in 2010, Costantini was selected as the 'Best Coach of All time' with 87.8% of the votes.
References
{{reflist}}
{{France squad 1995 World Men's Handball Championship}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Constantini, Daniel}}
Category:French male handball players
Category:French handball coaches