Norway, ultimate obstacle for the French team

This poster between France and Norway, in the final of the world championship on Sunday, is the same as that of the last edition, which the Bleues lost in 2021.

Sick these Blues. To the point of madness itself. Affected by a virus which contaminated part of the squad and staff, the French women’s handball team gave Sweden a fever, winning on Friday in the semi-final (37-28). Olivier Krumbholz’s players now have only one almost compulsive obsession: to go to the end of this world championship, and overthrow a team accustomed to blocking their path. They must therefore overcome Norway, their best enemy, on Sunday December 17 (7:00 p.m.).

The French Olympic champions have constantly repeated it over and over again: they were counting on these Worlds to erase the frustrations of the last major competitions. The gold gleaned in Tokyo in 2021 was not enough for them to attenuate the defeat in the final of the last world championship in 2021 then the 4th place in the last Euro last year.

“Last year we suffered from what happened, it was really hard and we promised each other things.revealed Estelle Nze Minko after the semi-final on Friday, in the mixed zone. And here we come back in the final, I’m so proud of us.” “We’re going for the gold medalinsisted Grace Zaadi at the microphone of France.tv sport even before facing the Swedes. Even if they say that a medal is a medal, I’m a little drunk with the silver and bronze. These may be problems of the rich, but I take responsibility!“

What better scenario than returning to Norway to chase away disappointments? “Norway is there, established years before us. It has always been the reference for the French team, for coach Olivier Krumbholzdecrypts at franceinfo: sport Valérie Nicolas, former goalkeeper and captain of the France team. The Norwegians were the way to go.“

The historic rival of French handball has become a bête noire in recent years, beating the Bleues in the final of Euro 2020 then the 2021 World Cup, before sharply knocking them out in the semi-final on the European scene in 2022. In their quest of glory and greatness, dominating the title holders on Sunday looks like a final validation to integrate this French team among the giants. But, “there is no feeling of inferiority“insists Valérie Nicolas. The victory of Les Bleues in Act I between the two teams during the main round (24-23) attests to this. “It will be a completely different match, what happened a week ago doesn’t count, it will be a life and death match”warns right-back Laura Flippes.

“Now, it’s also good that the student surpasses the master. It’s a great rivalry, a great story because these are two teams who appreciate and respect each other.”

Valérie Nicolas, former goalkeeper and captain of the French team

at franceinfo: sport

The French team will count on its iron defense to try to limit the best attack in the competition (34.2 goals per match on average) by jumping at its throat from the start, as it did to asphyxiate the Swedes in the semi-final. “These are two teams that play very fastanalyzes Valérie Nicolas. We saw in the main round that the Norwegians had also started with a bang [elles menaient 3-0 après trois minutes contre les Bleues]. The defensive withdrawal as well as the ball lifts will be decisive. In the last four, there were only Nordic teams and us, the irresistible little Gauls. We will try to do everything to annoy them. The Nordics’ game is codified, clean, beautiful. But when we go looking for the small grain of sand, the machine can quickly go wrong.“

Especially since Norwegian women are not infallible, qualified in extremis against Denmark at the last second on Friday, after trailing for the first 58 minutes. “Mentally, Norwegian women are machines, they’re a steamroller“, estimates Valérie Nicolas, who is considering “a very nice finale“. And one “dream“, that of a new world title after the one of which she had been one of the pillars, in 2003, the first then for French women’s handball. “Twenty years later, it would be beautiful, just magical!“

The story, the revenge, and the clearest message there is a few months before the Paris Olympic Games: this final, the Blues have many reasons to go crazy in advance.