# Bruno Gudelj

**Bruno Gudelj** (born 1966 in Zagreb) is a Croatian former handball player and later coach who won the gold medal in the men's handball tournament at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta as a member of the Croatia national team.<sup>[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/31964)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[2](https://www.hoo.hr/biografije-olimpijaca/16104)</sup>

| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1966, Zagreb, Croatia<sup>[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/31964)</sup> |
| Olympic result | Gold, men's handball, 1996 Summer Olympics, Atlanta, with Croatia<sup>[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/31964)</sup> |
| Other international medals | Gold, 1993 Mediterranean Games; silver, 1995 World Championship; bronze, 1994 European Championship in Porto<sup>[2](https://www.hoo.hr/biografije-olimpijaca/16104)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[3](https://proleksis.lzmk.hr/56899/)</sup> |
| Club honors | European Champions Cup with RK Badel 1862 Zagreb in 1992 and 1993<sup>[3](https://proleksis.lzmk.hr/56899/)</sup> |
| Clubs | Badel 1862 Zagreb, TSG Bielefeld, TUSEM Essen, Bidasoa Irún, Bregenz HB<sup>[2](https://www.hoo.hr/biografije-olimpijaca/16104)</sup> |

## Playing career

Gudelj began his career at the leading Croatian club Badel 1862 Zagreb, with which he won the European Champions Cup (the forerunner of the [EHF Champions League](https://www.edgepedia.org/ehf-champions-league)) in 1992 and 1993.<sup>[3](https://proleksis.lzmk.hr/56899/)</sup>

In 1994 he moved to Germany, joining the second-division club TSG Altenhagen-Heepen (listed by the Croatian Olympic Committee as TSG Bielefeld), for whom he scored 378 goals in 65 games over two seasons.<sup>[2](https://www.hoo.hr/biografije-olimpijaca/16104)</sup>

With the Croatian national team, Gudelj won gold at the 1993 [Mediterranean Games](https://www.edgepedia.org/mediterranean-games) in [Languedoc-Roussillon](https://www.edgepedia.org/languedoc-roussillon), bronze at the 1994 European Championship in Porto, Portugal, silver at the 1995 World Championship, and, at the peak of his career, the gold medal at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.<sup>[2](https://www.hoo.hr/biografije-olimpijaca/16104)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[3](https://proleksis.lzmk.hr/56899/)</sup> The Atlanta squad also included Irfan Smajlagić, Patrik Ćavar, Slavko Goluža, Venio Losert, and Valter Matošević, among others.<sup>[4](https://www.olympedia.org/countries/CRO/sports/HBL.1)</sup>

## Coaching career

In 2004 he took over as coach of his home club RK Zagreb, succeeding Lino Červar, and in the 2004–05 season won the league and cup double and reached the final of the European Cup Winners' Cup, where the team lost to Ademar León.

## References

1. [Bruno Gudelj, Olympedia](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/31964)
2. [Bruno Gudelj biography, Croatian Olympic Committee (HOO)](https://www.hoo.hr/biografije-olimpijaca/16104)
3. [Gudelj, Bruno, Proleksis enciklopedija](https://proleksis.lzmk.hr/56899/)
4. [Croatia in Handball, Olympedia](https://www.olympedia.org/countries/CRO/sports/HBL.1)

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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Basketball and court team sports › Handball › Croatian handball players*

*Initially written Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 25, 2026*

*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*

License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license