the French team validates its ticket for the quarters after its victory against the Netherlands

Asked after the victory of the French team against Hungary, Tuesday January 21, about the continuation of the Blues’ journey in the Handball World Cup, Nedim Remili looked forward to the upcoming meeting… against North Macedonia. Elected man of the match, Thursday January 23, in the Varazdin Arena, in Croatia, the player is forgiven for having reversed the order of the matches. It was the Netherlands who were on the bill that evening with the French. And coach Guillaume Gille’s men won (35-28) their fifth match in a row since the start of the tournament, thus ensuring they will compete in the quarter-finals on January 28 in Zagreb.

Nedim Remili – very involved in the match, with authority and sometimes a little excess, to the point of receiving a two-minute suspension twice – and his teammates can therefore approach their last meeting of the main round with confidence … against North Macedonia on Saturday. The faultless performance of the six-time world champions allows them to secure, even before this final duel, first place in their group, and consequently to face in the quarterfinals a nation that came second in theirs.

On Thursday, Guillaume Gille’s team faced a Dutch selection that was mobile in the offensive phases, but often porous in defense. This made the French team’s scorers happy, starting with Dika Mem, who was very effective in shooting from distance. Pillar of the Blues version 2025, just like Nedim Remili or the captain, Ludovic Fabregas, the Barcelona right-back seems to have regained all his qualities after injuring his shoulder at the end of 2024.

“When I had the opportunity to have surgery and be present at the World Cup, I couldn’t let it pass me by”he said at the beginning of January, during the French tournament, the last stage of the Blues’ preparation, in Strasbourg. Before adding: “Let’s be clear, getting knocked out of the Olympics in the quarterfinals, and the way it happened, makes me want to be ready even more. »

Konan, central element of the defensive wall

In the rejuvenated squad of the French team, another player has shown unfailing motivation since the start of the competition, Karl Konan. Central element of the blue defensive wall, the Montpellier pivot is always on the move, perpetually looking for the best position.

He distinguished himself again on Thursday, lifting one of the most prominent Dutchmen of the match, Luc Steins. The captain of the Netherlands (1.72 m), found himself with his feet in the air for a few moments, caught in the pincers of the 1.96 m Golgoth! “Karl has progressed a lot in recent years and has taken on more responsibilities in the groupsaid by Ludovic Fabregas. he has enormous aggression and he was very invested in preparing for the matches. »

However, the French game has no secrets for Luc Steins, who has been playing in the French championship for nine seasons. Recruited by Paris Saint-Germain in 2020, he was elected best player in the Starligue three years in a row (2021, 2022, 2023). His liveliness and skill, however, were not enough to make the difference on the Varazdin floor.

“A free warning”

Melvyn Richardson also delivered a very satisfactory performance with a record of seven goals on seven shots. This other Barcelona player from the Blues, however, proved less precise in his passes. More generally, the winners of the last Euro lacked precision in the last quarter of an hour of the game, losing several balls and shooting outside the Dutch cage.

In the last timeout requested by Guillaume Gille, the coach urged his players to “get back some structure”in other words finding discipline and concentration in the game, while qualification seemed acquired. “We lost the thread a little while we dominated this opponentanalyzed the technician more explicitly at the final whistle. This is a no-cost warning. We still have a lot of work ahead, but also the satisfaction of being in the right place. »

His troops aim for nothing less than to seek a seventh world title. However, there is still a long way to go until the final on February 2 in Oslo, Norway.