After several temporary solutions, Vardar finally got a coach that will work on long term, Raul Gonzalez Gutierrez (44), former Spanish national team player, coach of Valladolid and Talant Dujshebaev's assistant in Atletico Madrid.
 
Since Zoran Kastratovic was fired last October, Macedonian champion was led by Andon Boškovski and in all matches of the EHF Champions League main "adviser" was sports director and sponsor Sergej Samsonenko. On the last match of SEHA GSS league in December Goran Simic was on bench but winter preparations were held under Vladimir Vujovic's control. Now it looks like all shocks are stabilized, and finally team has a quality coach.
 
Raul Gonzalez comes in Vardar with contract valid until 2016. He is a former Spanish player with a bronze from Atlanta Olympics in 1996.
 
"I would like to thank Sergej Samsonenko for the trust he's given me to lead the club that has ambitions to be one of the best in Europe . It's a chance that a coach should not miss, especially if you consider the level of the team. I am confident that as a coach will do my best to fulfill the assigned tasks at the highest level, were first words of Spaniard, who has worked as an assistant to Talant Dujshebaev in Ciudad Real and Atletico Madrid.
 
Sergej Samsonenko, team's main sponsor, said Raul Gonzalez was his first option back in October, although he got in touch with several other coaches. One of them was Dujshebaev, but he has recently taken the job in Vive Tragi Kielce.
 
"Raul Gonzalez Gutierrez, was the first coach that I personally negotiated with after Zoran Kastratovic left the team. Then I talked to two other coaches, but to my great pleasure today Raul took the team  and we have a plan to be here until 2016. I hope that Raul is the right choice for Vardar to achieve the goals that are set, " said Samsonenko .
 
The club will probably wait for new signings until summer because Gonzalez confirmed that the current team will bear the pressure until the end of the season .
 
Vardar's first CL match in 2014 is scheduled for January 31, versus Hungarian Veszprem in Skopje.