Because the concentration of good teams is greater on the Old Continent than anywhere else, the European Handball Championship is generally judged to be of a higher level than that of the World Cup or the Olympic Games. This observation, glaring in view of the international rankings, significantly increases the victory of the French team at Euro 2024, Sunday January 28 in Cologne (Germany).
The Blues won the fourth continental title in their history, after those of 2006, 2010 and 2014, by beating Denmark after a suffocating final. The two selections engaged in a mano a mano of absolute uncertainty, worthy of the rivalry which has seen them, for many years, win each other in turn.
For its turn to win, a year after a world championship final lost against the same Denmark (29-34), the French team had to draw on infinite resources. Tied at half-time (14-14), then at the end of regulation time (27-27), as France had been forty-eight hours earlier against Sweden in the semi-final, the two finalists had to continue their disenchantment for the moment of an extension. The match then came to nothing. A loss of ball on the Danish side and an interception by Ludovic Fabregas, almost as miraculous as Elohim Prandi’s dazzling free kick the day before, changed a match (33-31) which could very well have determined another winner .
“Anthology weekend”
An intangible excess of mental strength also, undoubtedly, interfered in the random scenario of this end of the match, as explained by the Blues coach Guillaume Gille, in tears after this “anthology weekend”. The former pivot becomes the first coach to be crowned European champion after having been as a player (2006, 2010) – a double which he also achieved at the Olympic Games. “This victory has a lot of meaning, it validates an approach, an ambition, he pointed out on Sunday evening. We decided to focus on this competition with the idea of resisting the best, and without focusing on the Olympic Games. [qui se disputeront dans six mois]. This success has a very pleasant taste in the mouth. It kicks off the coming year wonderfully. »
At the start of the Euro, a rich man’s problem presented itself to Guillaume Gille, at the head of a squad abundantly supplied with talented players. Having such a pool is certainly an opportunity in terms of the game, but can also prove to be a danger: how to make egos coexist, and manage the frustrations that this type of competition generates, knowing that there are only seven holders chosen from a workforce of 19 (strong) personalities? Cohesion is a complex quest in team sports and, contrary to the adage, the abundance of goods can be detrimental. The French team knows something about this. The bitter memory of Euro 2020, marked by collective disintegration and a 14e dishonorable position which earned coach Didier Dinart to be sacked, daily reminds his successor of the pre-eminence of” Team spirit “. Without osmosis, no results. And reciprocally.
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