Euro 2024 handball. After ten years without a continental title, a curse to break for Karabatic and the Blues before the Olympics

Montpellier Rémi Desbonnet is preparing to compete in the Euro in the blue jersey. dpa – Jan Woitas

Happy at the Games, unhappy at the Euro, French handball players shine little in the continental tournament traditionally organized at the start of the Olympic year. But Nikola Karabatic's squad hopes to break this habit on Wednesday in their opening match against North Macedonia in Düsseldorf.

Seven months before the Paris 2024 Olympics, it would be time to reconnect with the European title which has eluded them for more than ten years. For the last Euro of their star "Kara" before his retirement at the end of the season, too.

In terms of handball, writing that a competition is not successful for the Blues remains relative but “the French team only obtained two medals , bronze, the year of the Games, it's quite ridiculous, observes coach Guillaume Gille.

"In view of our record, that we never had the opportunity to shine in the year of the Games, it's quite paradoxical , he continues. Especially when we see the results during the last four Olympics, namely three victories (2008, 2012 and 2021) and one final (2016).

JOUR DE MATCH ! 🇫🇷⚡🇲🇰
🤾‍♂️#FRAMKD | EHF EURO 2024
⏰ 18H00
📍Düsseldorf 🇩🇪
📺 @beinsports_FR
📱#BleuetFier
C'est parti pour l'EHF EURO 2024 !! ALLEZ LES BLEUS ! 💪🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/vmU9j3pY7r

— Equipes de France de Handball (@FRAHandball) January 10, 2024

"Their handball counterparts showed them the way by winning a third world crown last month. "It's a motivation, recognizes captain Luka Karabatic. Seeing them victorious clearly makes you want to follow in their footsteps."

The French team for once in full

And for once, the Blues will be able to count on everyone on deck. Forgotten the nightmare of the last Euro, two years earlier when "Gino" Gille had to give up on some of his injured captains, like Luka Karabatic, Nedim Remili, Timothey N'Guessan and Elohim Prandi. Not to mention a cascade of positive cases of Covid-19.

Without reproducing the black series, the long list of absentees at the last World Cup (Timothey N'Guessan, Karl Konan, Hugo Descat, in particular) combined with injuries during the tournament had resulted in a final, lost to Denmark, played without a left back, except Nikola Karabatic, on one leg due to a foot injury.

Nikola Karabatic is preparing to experience his last Euro. dpa – Jan Woitas

"In this period, we very often find ourselves faced with injuries or players who are out of shape and forced to throw in the towel a few days before the Euro, summarizes the coach. This is not the case."

A Euro in the land of handball

Even in full, among the nineteen, there are only three of the 2014 European champions present in Germany, the Karabatic brothers, as well as Valentin Porte. A sign that it would be time for a new crowning achievement, also in the cradle of modern handball. Sport whose rules were developed by a Berlin physical education teacher, Karl Schelenz. On the Montpellier side, nine MHB players will participate in the competition.

"I'm delighted with German cinemas, salivates Guillaume Gille, who spent a decade in Hamburg. We're going to meet people who know handball very well, people who live every day behind their Bundesliga club."

After the opening match in Düsseldorf scheduled for 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, promising to break an attendance record for a handball match – more than 50,000 spectators are expected – the Blues must travel to the capital where they will challenge their German hosts on Tuesday for the final shock of their group A. Then, barring disaster, there will be time for a second group phase, that of the main round in Cologne .

The stage for the 𝒃𝒊𝒈𝒈𝒆𝒔𝒕 handball event is almost set 🤩 Can’t wait to see Merkur Spiel-Arena hosting more than 50.000 handball fans🔥🔝#ehfeuro2024 #heretoplay pic.twitter.com/WtQyzl0Gvv

— EHF EURO (@EHFEURO) January 7, 2024

Qualified for the Olympics as host country, like the Danes as world champions, the Blues do not have the obligation to win under penalty of having to play an uncertain Olympic qualifying tournament in March, unlike the Spaniards, whom they could meet in the main round. Or the Swedes and Norwegians, sure values ​​in the other part of the table, whom they cannot face before the final weekend (January 26-28).