The French handball team was once again proclaimed continental champion, ten years later, after beating Denmark 33-31 in extra time this Sunday in the final of the European Championship in Germany.
A victory incomprehensible without the resurrection in the second half of extra time of the Blaugrana Dika Mem, who until then had missed all the shots he had attempted and who with two consecutive goals led the victory of the French team.
The best example of the competitive spirit of French handball, which generation after generation continues to develop players capable of performing in moments of maximum pressure.
It matters little that the rival, like in this case the Danish team, has more talent in its ranks thanks to the presence of stars of the stature of Simon Pytlick, Mikkel Hansen or Mathias Gidsel, a player destined to mark an era. The French team always competes.
An irreducible character that allowed Guillaume Gille’s men to survive the sensational performance of Danish goalkeeper Emil Nielsen, who closed the first half with twice as many saves – ten – as his French counterpart Samir Bellahcene.
Nor did the four goals matter, after not missing a shot, with which Mathias Gidsel arrived at half-time, who not only scored and assisted, but also left details that confirmed his status as the best player today.
Stops and goals that did not help Denmark, winner of the last three World Cups, to escape from a French team that, based on defense, defense and more defense, managed to close the first half with a tie (14-14) on the scoreboard.
The same formula that allowed the ‘Experts’, current Olympic champions, to survive the gray encounter of Dika Mem, a player destined to make the difference and who missed the five shots he attempted in regulation time.
France arrived with a one goal advantage (25-24) in the last six minutes of the second half. A time in which the winger Elohim Prandi burst in, as happened in the semifinals against Sweden.
On this occasion the French ‘gunner’ did not need a direct shot with the clock already at zero to monopolize the spotlight, since Prandi, a player until now only known for the enormous power of his shots, showed that he had considerably more resources.
Virtues that are not limited only to the offensive aspect, such as that final assist to Fabregas that tied the score (27-27) with thirty seconds left, but also in defense, preventing Gidsel from being able to avoid extra time in the last ball.
An extra time in which France demonstrated the reason for its victory in the three continental finals it had played so far with a lesson in competitive nature.
The one demonstrated by Dika Mem, who did not care about his continuous failures in the shot to assume offensive responsibility in the second half of extra time with two consecutive lashes that put France with a two-goal lead (31-29).
The difference is that not even the talent of Gidsel, who left the game without missing a single one of the eight shots he made, could prevent France from holding on until the end (33-31) to win their fourth continental title in their fourth final.
