Euro 2024 handball. “He’s not even 9 meters away”, “I have a good arm”: reactions after Prandi’s crazy goal and the Blues’ qualification for the final

The joy of the entire French team after qualifying for the Euro final. dpa – Tom Weller

The coach of the French team Guillaume Gille and his players were obviously over the moon after Elohim Prandi's goal to go into overtime against Sweden, then beating the latter, Friday January 26, during the semi-finals of Euro 2024 handball.

Guillaume Gille, coach of the French handball team: "We passed, obviously, very close to the exit eh. At the end of regulation time, we are dominated, we struggle to find solutions, to make stops and we find ourselves a little suspended from this stroke of genius from Elo. At the same time, we know that with this boy, some pretty crazy things can happen.

It's the kind of shot he could try a few tens of thousands of times at home in training. I think it was written, that it was supposed to take place this evening. (…) In this kind of situation, being rational, you know that there is still a one in a thousand chance of scoring a goal. Plus, it's not even 9 meters away, it's further away, so you know it's still a bad start. 

Then there is the reaction of this group which, in overtime, takes things the right way, gets back to defending, to being efficient, to being cleaner in the quality of the game in attack. In one fell swoop, he once again took the lead over the Swedes in yet another reversal of the balance of power."

Also read: Euro 2024 handball: Sweden lodged a protest following Elohim Prandi's last-second goal for France

Elohim Prandi, left back of the France team:“These are times when we pray because if it doesn't fit, the adventure is over. It was a very, very emotional moment. I shoot hard, I have a good arm, and I shoot pretty well, that happens to me. I preferred to pass to the side because I had the ability to go up the ball. It's back. 

I preferred to stay focused because twice there were 5 minutes left and anything could happen. But the Swedes were dulled by this second period to come back to the score. And I think that after this kind of shoot, nothing can stop us, overconfidence is very present."

Also read: VIDEO. Euro 2024 handball: Elohim Prandi's completely crazy goal at the last second to send the Blues into overtime in the semi-final

Nedim Remili, center half of the France team: "We had a very funny match, really very funny. I think everyone got hot there, everyone sweated. (…) It's incredible what'Elo' did but that's what we expect of him. Well, maybe not that last shot. Well not every time. (…) We don't have the wisdom to control a match for sixty minutes but as long as we beat them at the end, who's going to complain ?"