Trondheim (Norway) (AFP)
The French handball players play their second Euro match against the Norwegians at home on Sunday in Trondheim (6:15 pm), and it is already the last chance after Friday's rout against Portugal (28-25).
"Either we get up, or we come home with a lot of doubts, a lot of questioning and a huge project. The next few months would be difficult," says Nikola Karabatic.
If they left the Euro in the first round, which never happened to them, the French would have prepared in the worst way the much more crucial meeting of the Olympic Qualification Tournament (TQO), from April 16 to 19 in Paris-Bercy, where the pressure will be maximum and the adversity not negligible. The winger Valentin Porte had warned before the Euro that an absence of the Blues in Tokyo would be "a national drama".
- Win with 4 goals away -
We are not there yet, including the Euro. Many scenarios remain possible in the Trondheim group, but the only one that gives all the guarantees of accession to the main round requires winning at least four goals against the host country, then continuing with a success against Bosnia , a priori weaker, Tuesday. In case of victory too narrow Sunday, France would be at the mercy of a calculation of the Norwegians in the last match against Portugal.
"We have already had situations like this, but the match that followed was not against the vice-world champion at home!", Said Karabatic to underline the difficulty of the task.
The Norwegians, silver medalists from the last two Worlds in 2017 and 2019, entered the tournament well, beating the Bosnians 32 to 26 thanks to a festival behind Paris SG Sander Sagosen (12 goals).
This player, "one of the best in the world", is not the only weapon of a Scandinavian team "dangerous in many positions", according to Karabatic, and rich in residents of the Bundesliga.
- Find your game -
Anyway, the main thing for the French will be to get back to their game after the sad show on Friday. Yet warned of the Portuguese danger since their defeat last April in qualifying, they were dominated in the regular by a team certainly in progress but which is not among the contenders for the podium.
Unable to give rhythm, the Blues were especially catastrophic in attack because of a multitude of technical faults: marchers, empty passes, strong passages.
The other big problem was the absence of goalkeeper stops at decisive moments. The N.1 Vincent Gérard diverted only two balls before being replaced by the neophyte (38 years old) Yann Genty, a little more efficient but not decisive.
Didier Dinart has not ruled out making a change, as authorized by the regulations, by bringing in either goalkeeper Wesley Pardin or semi-center Nicolas Claire (or both), who are with the group in Trondheim. "I don't know if the players in reserve are the solution, but we can't help anything."
The coach also took his share of responsibility in the defeat, particularly regarding "coaching". "We don't always make the right choices, I also agree to make my mea culpa," said the former defender, admitting that his team "already has one foot in the plane and wants to avoid putting the second one ".
© 2020 AFP