the Blues remain at the foot of the podium

Dominated two days earlier by the Danes, in the semi-finals, in a match where they had never managed to gain control over their opponents, the French handball players did not manage to remobilize against the Hungarians (24- 25), Sunday December 15, to win 3^e I like the Euro.

The French women, silver medalists at the 2024 Olympic Games and reigning world champions, also failed in the small final during the last Euro 2022, against Montenegro (27-25), after tight overtime.

In a tight and relatively closed match, the Blues were seriously held up – they were trailing by one goal at half-time (12-13). As against the Danes, they flouted their handball in attack, with ball losses and a lack of success in shooting.

“Our last two games are our two worst games, which are also the most important. We are dominated during the game and we are chasing the score. We cannot find the solutions to get ahead. We worked a lot and I’m disappointed for us”conceded Estelle Nze Minko, at the microphone of BeIN Sports.

In the Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna (Austria), it was goalkeeper Laura Glauser who kept her team in the match for a long time, with a remarkable save percentage (11 shots saved out of 31, or 35.5%). Returning from the locker room, the last bastion of the Hungarian club Ferencvaros maintained the pace by disgusting in turn the best Hungarian scorers, Katrin Gitta Klujber (9 goals) and Csenge Kuczora (5 goals).

“I don’t think we played badly”

But if the French have generally raised their level, like the center half Estelle Nze Minko and the pivot Pauletta Foppa, the only tricolor selected in the standard team of the competition, they have never managed to take the measure of their adversaries. The Blues only took the lead once, less than ten minutes from the end of the match, on a goal from Grace Zaadi following a beautiful French move (22-21, 51^e minute of play).

Authors of a remarkable run in the group stage, with five victories in as many matches, Sébastien Gardillou's players faltered in certain key moments. Grace Zaadi, for example, missed an important seven-meter throw, attempting a lob against goalkeeper Zsófi Szemerey.

“There was a lack of efficiency at the start of the match but they did not lack heart”explained after the meeting the French coach, Sébastien Gardillou, at the microphone of BeIN Sports. “In the score, we are two goals short of being in front but I am proud of my players. We also had a good defense and a good goalkeeper. It didn't amount to anything. I don’t think we played badly” he added, very upset.

In goal, the Hungarian Zsófi Szemerey was also successful (37.8% saves), relying on united and diligent defense from her partners. Hungary, European champion in 2000 and defeated in the semi-finals by Norway (22-30) on Friday December 13, had not won a medal since the European Championships in 2012, in Serbia (bronze).

The Norwegians will try to win their tenth European title, against Denmark (Sunday, 6 p.m.).