Handball | The Blues spoil their Olympic exploit

With some sports, the joys are only short-lived. Among them, we can happily mention handball. After such Olympic Games from the Blues, it is simply scandalous not to have taken advantage of this dynamic. Professional misconduct for some, professional misconduct for others.

We all have in mind the gigantic elimination of the French team during the Olympic Games in the quarter-finals. A match that she held against the Germans, to finally offer them qualification in the last four on a silver platter, and say goodbye to the slightest medal. Since August 7, 2024, the Blues have not played any official match. And it only took the French three short months to make us live a nightmare.

The Blues are not riding the handball Olympics wave

91 days after this wonderful quarter-final at the Olympics, Guillaume Gille's men wanted to draw a line under their trauma. And for that, the Euro Cup came at just the right time. This competition, created to prepare for the upcoming World Cup, brings together France and three Scandinavian countries; Norway, Denmark and Sweden. It is therefore against the latter that the Blues will let off steam. Indeed, their start to the match could not have been worse. In less than a quarter of an hour, the French already folded the game and the suspense with it. Hugo Descat's teammates put the Swedes up 10-1, who are already taking their two timeouts. Almost unheard of.

The Orléans crowd certainly did not expect to see such a mess, almost embarrassed to celebrate the French goals as the steamroller is in one direction. Worse still, the reigning European champions do not manage their lead, but increase it mercilessly twenty minutes from time. (27-15). Well helped by a relaxation (finally!) of the French, Sweden reduced the gap and came away with a slap in the face (37-31). We had imagined a completely different return to the field for this French team which, for a change, disappoints us once again.

“A first step in the right direction and which allows us to gradually exit the Games” Guillaume Gille