Starleague. “We can have no regrets”, “Karabatic or any player remains human”: reactions after MHB’s defeat against PSG

Valentin Porte et les Montpelliérains n'ont pas tenu sur la durée. Midi Libre – SYLVIE CAMBON

Les joueurs du Montpellier Handball étaient forcément déçus de la défaite contre le leader de Starligue, le PSG, mais plutôt content de l'attitude affichée par les joueurs de Patrice Canayer, dimanche 25 février à la Sud de France Arena.

Montpellier

Kylian Prat, left back of MHB: "Frankly it's a great match. We have a fairly small squad, we gave everything and we played well. At halftime, we were two goals apart after a good first half. Then we have a small hole at the start of the second and we go to -4. Against teams like that, it's paid in cash so we're behind and we can't come back. 

There were players missing but we can't hide behind that all the time. They played better than us, we missed shots, their goalkeepers were better. 

We knew we were going to have a little more playing time than normal. I told myself that it was just more. I told myself that I was going to give it my all, if it worked out so much the better, otherwise too bad. But I did the best I could. 

When you're young and you're in a match like that, you don't watch others play. You give everything to prove that you have your place in a team like Montpellier. Patrice tells me to play my game, give everything I have, go towards the goal, impact and run into the spaces and that's it."&nbsp ;

Karabatic ? Obviously you think about it before and at the start of the match that you are going to play it. But then when you enter the field, Karabatic or any player remains a human and you try to do the best you can to pass. 

Karl Konan, MHB defender: "It's frustrating because we lose but everything the world tried to do its best with the reality of the moment. There are necessarily details to be managed better to alleviate the defeat but we can have no regrets because we gave everything.

The young people are there when we are in difficulty to support the team. He can be proud, we are all proud of him. We trust him and that's why we give him responsibilities like that. I'm happy for him and the reality of the moment means that we need these young people. They take their place and they assume their responsibility so it's great for them."

Valentin Porte, captain of the MHB:"I have more regret in Plock than this evening. Even if this evening I have some because with what we have put we are not very far away. Afterwards I know Paris, they managed the thing to stay calm, they didn't do too much. We wanted to take them to a slightly warmer money time but we gave up beforehand. A little regret, but I'm happy for the team for the courage we were able to show even if there were lots of mistakes.< /p>

"I think we shouldn't be too stupid at the moment as it's a slaughter. And that these players, in particular Kylian, will be required to have a slightly more important role. The qualities he has, now it's gaining confidence in himself and taking a little more place in the group but I'm not too worried about him because he really has a state of being. ;#39;excellent mind, he listens.

Tonight he's taking his chance, and he's lucky that many teams don't know him too well and the surprise effect can sometimes be interesting. We'll see how it develops but for these young players, to experience this kind of match, even if they don't come in, gives them experience. It's up to them to be intelligent and take it the right way so that it serves them."

Paris SG

Elohim Prandi, left back of PSG: "The circumstances for them are complicated at the moment, they have a big infirmary. We are more in Cannes, we are producing some good play at the moment while being quite efficient. We came here to take a very good lead over our two outsiders behind. The championship smiles on us more and more. 

It was an intense match and it came down to the last ten minutes. We knew it was going to be like that and that they were going to play free with all their absentees. As if they had nothing to lose. They produced a very good game, they gave us problems. Defensively, we remained solid, we knew how to manage the actions to be able to pull away and the victory is great today."