The last step was too high.

Authors of a perfect course until the final, the Blues came up against an impressive team from Denmark on Sunday evening in the final of the handball world championship (29-34).

France missed their start and could never regain control of the game, despite only one small goal behind at the break.

“We missed a lot of things, the start of the match put us in difficulty and conversely, the Danes found themselves in their comfort zone, debriefs coach Guillaume Gille.

We fought until the end, but we weren't able to be effective in the key moments.

It must be said that Denmark had a great final and deserved their victory.

»

In a disheveled second period, played at 1000 an hour, the Blues never managed to really worry their opponents, who were able to count on the Pytlick missile launcher, supported by the usual second knives Lauge and Mensah, to maintain the 'difference.

At the final whistle, the French were all frustrated at having come so close to a seventh world title.

On the scale of the French hand, it is starting to take a long time, since the last title won in 2017 at home.

Meanwhile, the Danes are now three in a row.

They are the ones who are making history right now.

“Something is happening in this group”

Nikola Karabatic could have too.

But, still diminished on Sunday by foot pain, he will not start on a fifth personal crown.

“It was not necessarily that the motivation, it was to win a title with this generation, indicates the eldest of the siblings (38 years old).

We are brothers on the pitch.

Most of us were Olympic champions together.

We wanted this gold medal.

»

Not spared from injuries (seven players before the competition, the Karabatic brothers, Dika Mem, Valentin Porte and Elhim Prandi along the way), the Blues can still be proud of their career, which has seen them get rid of Germany in the quarter and Sweden in the semi.

“You don't spit on a silver medal.

There is something happening in this group, little by little it is taking shape, observes Kentin Mahé.

We will use the mistakes made in this final and what we did better: we took a step forward by qualifying for the final when we had not succeeded in previous years (Euro 2022 and World Cup 2021 ).

That's what I want to remember.

»

Objective Paris

After gold at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, the new generation had the ambition to chain the titles, like the glorious elders.

We'll have to wait a little longer for that.

“I mean my pride, despite the sadness and a slightly bitter taste in the mouth, to have created this epic.

I didn't have many but it's the best silver medal of my life because we fought like lions, relativizes Nedim Remili, who has established himself as one of the new leaders of the team. .

We tried everything until the end against all odds.

We will come back next year with the slab to reach our goal which will always be the gold medal.

»

It will first be the Euro in Germany, then the big Olympic meeting in Paris.

The last of the lasts for Niko Karabatic.

"I hope my body will allow me to perform and defend this jersey," he says.

And none of his teammates will want to miss these farewells, Denmark or no Denmark opposite.

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