FRANCE
Since 2008, France has been the ultimate team in world handball, because Claude Onesta’s team has won all national team titles beginning with Olympic Gold in Beijing, followed by the 2009 World Championship and the European Championship in 2010 and once more with the 2011 World Championship title.
In the history of handball, they are the first team to be the defending champions of all three major titles and since Romania 1974, the first team to defend their World Championship title.
Moreover, although France, as World Champion, is the only team in Serbia that has qualified for the 2012 Olympic Games, the thirst for more titles has yet to be quenched.
The success story began in 1995 under Daniel Costantini with the first World Championship title, the second followed in 2001. The Onesta troop became European Champions for the first time in Switzerland at EHF EURO 2006.
Three former World Handball Players of the Year (Nikola Karabatic, Thierry Omeyer and Bertrand Gille) are just an example of the supporting columns in this exceptional team; this is in addition to the best defence player in the world, Didier Dinart and probably the best thrower in the world, Luc Abalo.
Following in the footsteps of these more experienced players are two ‘new generation’ talents, namely William Accambray and Xavier Barachet who have played themselves into the spotlight.
If France are able to win the gold medal in Serbia, they will also become the only team to defend the European Championship title since 2002 in Sweden.
GETTING TO SERBIA
The national team of France returns to the 2012 Men’s European Championship in Serbia as the reigning champions.
KEY PLAYERS
Nikola Karabatic
At the age of 27, Nikola Karabatic has won all major titles that can be won in handball. The back court player, who returned to Montpellier in 2009, is one of the most versatile players that the game has ever seen. In attack he is a danger for any goalkeeper and a feint expert creating gaps for his fellow teammates. Karabatic is a double World (2009, 2011) and European Champion (2006, 2010) as well as being an Olympic Champion (2008). Since 2006, his name can be found on nearly every All-Star Team roster or MVP list. Karabatic was born in Niš but moved to France as a child. His younger brother Luka also plays for Montpellier. With three World Championships, two EHF EURO victories and an Olympic gold medal.
Thierry Omeyer
Thierry Omeyer is currently the most successful goalkeeper in the world. There is no goalkeeper that is as motivated or prepared for the goal attempts than the 35-year old Frenchman who moved from Montpellier to THW Kiel in 2006. But in 2013 he plans to return to his old club. In the most important matches, he always seems to be on top form, successfully defending approximately 15 goals per match and leading the offensive actions of the team. For France, Omeyer has played over 270 matches and is clearly the number one in the most successful team in the world.
THE COACH - Claude Onesta
Nobody, in such a short amount of time, has managed to win so many titles with a national team as the 54-year-old Claude Onesta. After the 2001 World Championship, held in France, the former player and coach from HB Toulouse took over coaching responsibilities for the French men’s national team from Daniel Costantini. Many felt that Costantini’s shoes were impossible to fill, but the absolute opposite was true. It took five years before Onesta triumphed and was able to record his first major victory at the European Championship in Switzerland. With this, he began make history with the team. At the 2007 World Championship, France missed out on winning a medal after being defeated by Denmark, but since the 2008 Olympics, the team has been simply unbeatable at major tournaments. One Olympic victory, two World Championship titles and Onesta’s second European championship triumph in Vienna falls into this period. Following Valdimir Maximov, Onesta is the only handball coach whose team has won all three important titles. For his successes in 2009 and 2010, Onesta was honoured with the title of IHF World Handball Coach of the Year.
FRANCE IN ACTION
| Date | Time | Game |
|---|---|---|
| 16.01. | 18:15 | FRA vs ESP |
| 18.01. | 18:15 | RUS vs FRA |
| 20.01. | 20:15 | FRA vs HUN |
PAST PERFORMANCE EHF EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP
| 1994 | Portugal | 6th place |
| 1996 | Spain | 7th place |
| 1998 | Italy | 7th place |
| 2000 | Croatia | 4th place |
| 2002 | Sweden | 6th place |
| 2004 | Slovenia | 6th place |
| 2006 | Switzerland | Gold |
| 2008 | Norway | Bronze |
| 2010 | Austria | Gold |
FURTHER INFORMATION
French Handball Federation Website: www.ff-handball.org
