- The French handball team opens its Euro against Portugal on Friday.
- Experts tackle the competition without holding any title.
- A first since 2008 which has something to make us worried. Or not.
A fact that has become rare enough to be emphasized: France will embark on Friday in the Euro 2020 hand (against Portugal) without holding the slightest title. A first before a major competition since the 2008 Olympic Games. An eternity. Not enough to make the story of the century for Nikola Karabatic, who swept the controversy while relaxing from the top of his tap-sock combo at the home of handball earlier this week.
“It's a theme for you and the spectators but not for us. We don't have a title but we are the most titled so it doesn't change anything. In football, it's called Brazil syndrome. When you no longer win, you count the stars to put the bad tongues to sleep. But you see, we are not fooled. At the dawn of a competition that it will be difficult for us to win, we are necessarily worried, even if it means falling into the catastrophist willingly: then should we get used to seeing France handball bring trophies to Créteil? Is the golden age over? But where is ornicar?
Shortages at several posts and fear of the post-Karabatic
Response full of wisdom from DTN and candidate for the presidency of the federation, Philippe Bana, football jargon in support: "we have in mind this mistaken idea that handball is a sport that is played at 7, and at the end France wins. Winning is an exercise that is not mandatory, except for one or two goals, the difference between the four in the last square is tiny. It can be played with a hand dragging where a change at the right time. "
The thing is, we went without transition from a period when everything smiled at us with interstellar bad luck and third places. So there must be something else, right? Bana, always. “The difference between 3rd and first place may be found in the extra soul that we haven't had in the last half. " It's the least we can say. Whether against Spain at the last Euro or Denmark at the World Cup, the Experts were swallowed in all compartments. Result, defeats by four and eight goals apart.
Fear and sores ... The Euro in the Olympic year, a heresy? via @ 20minutesSport https://t.co/IGEufs8iqO
- 20 Minutes Sport (@ 20minutesSport) January 7, 2020Suffice to say that the excuse of extra soul stands up, but surely not on its own. We therefore take the pick and shovel to dig to the bottom of the problem. In terms of generational transition, for example, forced by the retirement of Thierry Omeyer and Daniel Narcisse. The best scorer in the history of the French team, Jérôme Fernandez thus identifies two major projects.
“The transition is still to be made on the goalkeeper position and on the left wing. In the cages, Vincent Gérard may be one of the best goalkeepers in the world, it's not Omeyer. He can have one or two worse games and therefore we must find the pair who will support him. In the center, we have Mahé, but it is a position that requires experience and Mahé is not yet Sagosen. You have to find someone who plays that role. Finally on the wing, we have Guigou and Grébille but Michael is going to leave, and we will have to find a new wingman. "
We can add Luc Abalo, whose departure is confirmed at the end of the 2020 season and especially Nikola Karabatic. If the star of PSG has not yet decided on his end of his international career, he does not have 50 years left in Blues. However, to see in it the difference in productivity of the men of Dinart with and without Kara and the pain experienced by the team to replace former executives presumed to be less important than him, one wonders in what the French hand will embark for the new decade. Unless Karabatic, Abalo & co are leading this team to a new major trophy to relaunch the sacrosanct transmission of the win. Fernandez: “In 2014, my generation succeeded in transmitting this winning culture to the Mahé, Karabatic, etc. and this winning culture must be relived before Tokyo or Tokyo. »End of the alarmist component.
"The French team is programmed to survive"
Several reasons to believe nevertheless in a new golden age of France: handball remains a niche sport. Competition is certainly fierce, but starting from the observation that no more than four and a half countries practice sport, the field of possibilities is immediately wider. Then, “the changes of generations will also hit our rivals”, underlines Jérôme Fernandez. And as for the big jump into the void and after Karabatic, we let Philippe Bana reassure his world.
“The fear of emptiness and of the future comes from outside. People were afraid of after Dinart, after Richardson, after Omeyer. The truth is that we have rookies arriving, Elohim Prandi is a Terminator, there will be another taulier who will arrive when the elders leave. The French team is programmed to survive. And I repeat, those who do not know him will discover Elohim Prandi. "
We can also cite Nedim Remili, Melvyn Richardson and Dika Mem, who for the most part arrived early in the French team after having won everything in the youngsters. “Where I am optimistic for the future, abounds Fernandez, is that there is not a gondola head but several. I am already positioning France as favorite for 2024 in Paris. What has to be successful is the present, it would be nice if the alumni who are going to finish like Michaël Guigou, Luc Abalo etc., finish on an Olympic podium. They deserve it. "
#VousEtreUtile
The Blues will leave at 18 for the Euro!
Here is the list of players who will go to Norway to start the Euro on Friday GO THE BLUES 💪 🇨🇵 # EspritHandball pic.twitter.com/L3jUps6CYa
Before that, there will be a Euro. Not the most important, although qualifying for the Olympics if successful. "The goal is half," warned Didier Dinart, Monday. Karabatic therefore urges us not to yell at the end of the world in the event of another disappointing performance. “Above all, a bad result at this Euro must not condemn our chances at the Olympic Games by undermining us and lowering our confidence. The Euro is important but the Olympics are above all. We will do the accounts at the end of the season.
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French team: truncated prep, injuries ... The Euro in the Olympic year, a heresy?
- Sport
- Olympic Games
- Nikola karabatic
- Handball