Nikola Karabatic surveyed the scene, looking up to the heavens and to either side. Over 26,500 fans stood in unison, celebrating him boisterously and chanting his name, their cheers resonating throughout the converted football stadium that had been alive with excitement all afternoon.
At ground level, his teammates joined their German rivals in honoring the legendary athlete. The illustrious French handball career had finally drawn to a close, though the circumstances were difficult to articulate. This quarter-final match was nothing short of iconic: the perfect stage for a legend to take his final bow.
How could France stumble like this? At 40, Karabatic is the greatest player of all time and a three-time Olympic gold medalist. He has experienced it all, and the plan was for him to conclude his career with yet another title for the reigning Tokyo 2020 champions.
For much of the match, Les Bleus, appearing as a mere shadow of their group stage selves, seemed to recognize the significance of the moment. With only 13 seconds remaining, they led by two goals; just six seconds later, the margin had narrowed to one, yet all they needed to do was maintain possession or take a desperate shot.
France’s coach, Guillaume Gille, a former teammate of Karabatic, called a timeout, inadvertently granting their opponents a chance to regroup. Initially seeming resigned to allow the hosts to run down the clock, the Germans could now muster any remaining energy to reclaim that elusive ball.
However, a shocking mistake occurred when Dika Mem, who had been virtually flawless until that moment, was intercepted by Renars Uscins, sparking a counterattack that Uscins finished emphatically. Heads dropped in despair throughout the towering stands still filled with spectators. The clock read exactly 60 minutes.
With just two minutes of overtime left and Germany seizing their chance, now leading 34-33, it was time for Karabatic to return to the fray. He had been sparingly used in recent years, with age catching up to his body, although his mind remained sharp.
Since halftime, he had watched from the sidelines, wrapped in a pink towel, leaping to his feet in moments of exhilaration and urging his teammates on as the hits grew harder in the increasingly intense matchup. “This could be the last one,” he had confided to his brother, Luka, during a tight group-stage match against Hungary, where France clawed their way back. If this desperate effort didn’t pan out, it would truly be a disheartening conclusion.
The decisive moment arrived with the game’s final action, as German goalkeeper David Späth made an essential save from Valentin Porte. As Späth celebrated, Karabatic comforted a tearful Porte. At 35-34, the race was over.
“I’ll hold dear my last moment with my teammates in the locker room, perhaps share a beer and reflect on everything, and also be there to lift their spirits because it’s a tough time for us,” Karabatic reflected. “I always aimed to look forward rather than backward, but now it’s the conclusion of my first chapter, so tomorrow I will take the time to contemplate that and appreciate the journey I’ve had.”
Karabatic receives a standing ovation from players, staff, and fans. Photograph: Sameer Al-Doumy/AFP/Getty Images
What an incredible journey it has been. A glance at posters in the Paris metro will soon reveal Karabatic’s face. Born in Serbia to a handball-playing father and raised in France from the age of three, he has transformed the sport to reflect his own style. Karabatic was a formidable all-around player, solid in defense and clinically precise with the ball. He uplifted the next generation while remaining leagues above everyone else, earning the title of the planet’s top player three times. As fans flocked to the stadium, it was his name proudly displayed on the backs of those iconic blue jerseys.
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“I would have loved to experience that moment with a medal around my neck,” he said regarding his poignant farewell. Some members of the French squad expressed discontent with plans to host the entirety of the Olympic handball tournament in Lille, feeling they were being denied a grand celebration in Paris.
Ultimately, it was agreed to host the group phase in a more intimate arena in Porte de Versailles before heading northeast for the decisive matches. Yet, nobody could claim they missed out on the festivities here. The atmosphere was electric, with the crowd erupting in primal celebration after goals and saves, La Marseillaise ringing out at crucial moments, and the setting benefiting from the absence of an overzealous master of ceremonies. The spectators were left to their own devices and responded with exhilarating enthusiasm.
For a moment, everyone stood in stunned silence, grappling with the unexpected outcome after Späth made his critical save. Luka Karabatic, 36 and with silver hair but the younger sibling, could not provide an explanation for the malfunction that had, in effect, sealed his brother’s retirement.
“There’s a lot to digest, and I think we will need time to process everything,” he said, reflecting on his immediate encounter with Nikola post-match. “Just giving him a hug, linking arms, and feeling thankful for the opportunity we had to be a part of this remarkable team and in front of such an extraordinary crowd.”
This event showcased that handball, a sport taken seriously across many parts of Europe, can evoke powerful emotions through both its gameplay and its narratives. For Nikola Karabatic, the script of a glorious finale had already been written for this summer’s events. How cruelly it was revised, yet he leaves behind an impressive legacy. “The pain of this loss is still present,” he said. “But I am very proud of what I have accomplished.”
