The French handball team was crowned European champion by winning against Denmark (33-31) in the final of the European championship, this January 28 in Cologne. The Blues won the fourth continental coronation in their history after a ten-year wait.
Published on: 01/28/2024 – 9:22 p.m. Modified on: 01/28/2024 – 9:24 p.m.
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Was a group born during this 2024 European Championship? At the end of a match that almost eluded them for a long time, the French team finally defeated Denmark by winning after extra time (33-31) in the final at the heart of the Lanxess Arena in Cologne.
It was the remake of the world championship final lost last year. Denmark, the real black beast of France in recent years, nevertheless showed from the start that it in no way underestimated the quality of the Tricolores and their long-range shots, by seeking to press clients like Dika Mem or Nedim Remili. It was especially Emil Nielsen, the Danish goalkeeper, who proved to be the main obstacle for the French players in the first half.
If Guillaume Gille’s men started the match with good intentions, they quickly came up against the Dane, imperious in his cage. Real poison, the goalkeeper tormented the French by making no less than five saves in the first 12 minutes. Neck and neck with their opponents, the Blues began to lose the thread of their match by receiving two temporary exclusions almost in quick succession, first for Ludovic Fabregas then Dika Mem after a defense deemed too rough by the arbitrator.
The Blues were fortunately able to count on a very clean Dylan Nahi at the finish (5-4, 10th) to stay afloat and prevent the Danes from getting too far ahead at the moment when the meeting seemed to be turning in their favor. But with 80% shooting success for the Danes compared to only 43% for the French halfway through the first act, that would soon no longer be enough. The striking power of Elohim Prandi, well served after an interception by Kentin Mahé, wreaked havoc to bring the score back before Remili gave the Blues the advantage back in the process (11-10, 25th).
Denmark did not hesitate to take advantage of one of its favorite weapons: Mikkel Hansen, surgical in this final, who regularly equalized on shots from seven meters (14-14, 28th). But at the break, neither team had yet managed to gain the upper hand over their opponent.
The Blues survived in the second half
The French took time to get going again in the second half, with a lack of offensive realism which suggested the worst for the end of the match. Especially since Nielsen was still as impregnable in his goal and Mathias Gidsel demonstrated his talent as a finisher (14-17, 35th). The crossing of the desert lasted six long minutes for the Blues, before Ludovic Fabregas sounded the revolt (15-17, 36th).
Struggling against the pace imposed by the Danes and without any real offensive creativity, like Dika Mem completely defeated in the match, the Blues never gave up and once again relied on Fabregas who came to clean the skylight before the last quarter of an hour (19-20, 45th). After a timely save from Bellahcene, the French ended up getting back on track thanks to a cannon shot from Prandi (24-24, 53rd). In the process, Simon Pytlick missed his opportunity even though he had been impeccable throughout the match. Had the Blues finally instilled doubt in Danish minds?
In the last five minutes, the Danes tried everything with a tactical move which placed them in numerical superiority, without a goalkeeper in their goal. Their stratagem initially worked as planned with space created for Mikkel Hansen who perfectly found the top corner (25-26, 56th). But facing the Danish defense, Fabregas did not hesitate to obtain a two-minute suspension on his opponent and give hope to his team. Leading by a small goal one minute from the end of the match (26-27, 59th), Denmark could not prevent France from equalizing on the gong thanks to an omnipresent Fabregas who sent both teams in overtime (27-27, 60th).
Prandi and Mem decisive in overtime
This time, the Blues had no intention of letting history repeat itself against the Danes. Prandi announced the color by going to fix the defense and free the axis for Remili, who smashed the opposing goal (28-28, 61st). The Blues’ defense did not give up despite the Danish double pivot, and they ended up being rewarded with a ball returned by the referee for a refusal of play.
Despite a very advanced defense from the Danes, Fabregas stood out again by equalizing just before the last five minutes (29-29, 65th). Dika Mem finally entered the match by scoring her first goal after five failed shots in this final to put France in front (30-29, 66th). Everything seemed to be aligning for the Blues, who saw Bellahcene stop a long-range shot from Mikkel Hansen with his right hand in stride.
Really coming back into the match, Dika Mem then found the goal with a shot over the wall (31-29, 67th). Already France’s savior in the semi-final, Elohim Prandi allowed the Blues to breathe with an unstoppable shot under the bar (32-30, 70th) which put an end to Danish hopes. Despite two poorly negotiated starts, the French never gave up and finally won their fourth continental title (2006, 2010, 2014 and 2024) after ten years of waiting. For the first time in their history, French handball players are titled during an Olympic year, just a few months before the Olympic Games organized in Paris.
