A beautiful Marseillaise, flags flying in a packed Futuroscope in Poitiers, the French team started its qualifying campaign for Euro 2024 in the most beautiful way against a Latvian team deprived of the Parisian giant Dainis Kristopans and heckled from start to finish (35-18). An evening especially for a Blue: Nikola Karabatic. For his 20 years in the France team, a celebration had been planned.
While the “Niko, Niko, Niko” fell from the stands, his brother and new captain of the France team was waiting for him with the rest of the players. A first hug, a film retracing his 20th birthday in pictures before another surprise since his children had made the trip to Poitiers, to also pay tribute to him and offer him a collector’s jersey.
“I had only picked up today, it had been 20 years, so thank you for the surprise, he first explained, microphone in hand in the middle of the Arena. Wearing this jersey has always been my dream and I am proud to have worn it for 20 years, to have shone with it and to have won so many titles with it. I don’t want to bring out one but the last one to win at the Olympic Games with most of my teammates and friends who are here, it will remain one of my fondest memories, to have been able to share it with this fantastic generation with so much talent. in the field and I am proud to be the last “Dinausore”, to be with them and to have fun. »
But beware, if it looked like it, it was not his jubilee and he obviously intends to continue the adventure. “It’s a pleasure to sometimes feel still young on the pitch when I’m often asked when I’m going to stop, I just try to have fun, have fun, enjoy the blue jersey because it is a childhood dream that I still live every day, ”he slips for beIN Sports.
In fact, in addition to qualifying for Euro 2024, other objectives are on the horizon… “We have the world championships coming up (in 2023, editor’s note), we are super motivated because we know the talent and the potential of this team, he adds with a smile. At the last Euro we stayed on a somewhat bitter 4th place by losing by one goal in the semi-finals and going into extra time for the place of 3 and I think we have great things to achieve. The French team and its supporters are only asking for one thing, that this common journey does not stop so soon.