The legendary Frenchman for 24 hours: ‘Karabatic is better than Balic, and Duvnjak taught me Croatian …’
When it was 15 years ago Mario Caljkusic He decided to launch a handball goalie camp, he made it out of despair. Once upon a time, the goalkeeper himself, faced with a lack of specialized coach who would teach him and raise his defense level, decided to help young people who come after his career.
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Gathering fans in front of the Zagreb Arena
Everything else is history, the camp grew from year to year and after a decade and a half in the largest and best specialized camp for handball goalkeepers in the world, a campsite attended by the best coaches and demonstrators, a campsite that is in every respect of the avant -garde, where novelties present …
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The quality of the campsite is best evidenced by the fact that it was regularly filled for a year in advance and that it was transferred to young people with the best of the best handball goalkeepers in the world, Thierry Omeyer, Kasper Hvidt, Roland Mikler, Kari Grimsbo, Borko Ristovski, Vladimir Cupupa, Benjamin Buric, Mirko Basic, Vladimir Vujovic Hallgrimsson, Mario Ivic, Ivana Kapitanovic, Jelena Grubisic, Mayssa Pessoa … The setting will also be representative and will be led by the legendary French Vincent Gerard (38), a goalkeeper who has seven major medals in the treasury, including gold medals from the European and World Championships and the Olympic Games and the prestigious award for the best goalkeeper in the same competitions …
Believe it or not, Gerard was supposed to be a participant in the first camp of handball goalkeepers held back in 2011.
– I heard that the camp was held and wished to participate, but I could not because of its representative obligations. Well, then, I couldn’t come as a goalkeeper, now, 15 years later, I come as a coach. Mario Caljkusic called me earlier, but because of my obligations at the club and the national team, as well as my private obligations around children, I never arrived. Now I no longer have so many obligations, no more excuses, I want to come and look at how I work because I plan to stay in handball after my career as a goalkeeper coach, and there is simply no better place to learn from Omis – Gerard tells us.
What is your motive for practicing a coaching job?
– You know how to say that in handball a goalkeeper is half a team, and a small number of clubs have a specialized goalkeeper coach. And it is an absurdity that needs to be changed, it cannot be the most important position and that the goalkeepers are left to themselves. And that is why it is good for young people to come to camps like this, to learn the exercises and the proper technique that they can later improve when they return to their clubs. Fortunately, I did not have these problems, as a beginner under my own I was taken by Branko Karabatic, Nikolin and Luka’s father, who himself was a famous goalkeeper and coach from whom I learned the basics. Because of this, my picking style is much closer to the « Balkan » than the « Scandinavian » style, I do more legs, I set the traps of the attackers, I do not believe much in jumps. Later I worked with some other coaches and I also learned from my idols, Henning Fritz who was a little crazy and had a special style, of course from Thierry Omeyer …
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You have won seven big medals, of which gold on EP, SP and Oi. Some would say it’s easy to win gold with French ‘Dream Team’?
– Surely it is easier to win with a good national team, but in order to be part of that national team you have to be just as good and make your contribution. I don’t run away from winning some medals because I was part of such a quality national team, but some medals were won and because of my contribution, after all, individual awards from the biggest tournaments were the best confirmation, as well as my career and trophy won in club handball.
What was it like to play for ‘Dream Team’?
– Great, privilege, but also a lot of pressure. When you play for French silver is not an option. When we lost to Denmark or in the semifinals from Spain in France, it was a national disaster. Everyone expects victories and gold, and handball is played in other countries, and very good handball.
What was it like to play against Croatia?
– I was not at the 2009 World Cup in Croatia, but I was on Euro. We knew we were complicating her to play with you, you have big talents, good players, a good atmosphere in the stands and they were always real matches. Honestly, every new season came some new, younger, quality players who could do big things, Croatia was always a threat to us and we were particularly preparing for those matches. The matches of France and Croatia are the classics of world handball, so was the last match in Zagreb, when you beat us …
The greats of both national teams retired little by little, there was a shift of generations in both in each other?
– This is natural, new young players come, new handball era … We will see who will make the shift faster and better, but as far as I can see both have many young players who can be the holders of the national team in the years to come.
For a long time, the leaders were Karabatic and Balic, who was better for you?
– For me, Karabatic. Balic was a great player, one time and the best in the world, but it lasted briefly. Karabatic played longer, won more and played equally well in defense and in the attack. For me, Balic is alongside Duvnjak because he played much longer, he had better performance and made an impressive career. Interestingly, in my career, I did not share a locker room with the Croats except Domagoj, he is the only one, though we trained more than playing together because I didn’t defend much, ha, ha, ha … Impressive as he lasted and played defense and attack, two games a week at a high level. In addition, he is a great guy, a real captain, and I picked up some Croatian words from him. Not all for the public, ha, ha, ha …, but « how are you », « good day » … I know that …
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Who do you think is the best goalkeeper in the world right now?
– In my opinion, this is Emil Nielsen, who defends Barcelona. He is very good, takes a lot of space, uses his body very well, now he is injured, so I got the opportunity to replace him, but when he is on the field he carries his team’s overcome.
Who is the best of the Croats?
– Uh, the competition is big … The lott won a lot, Sola same, Alilovic was an important part of a big team … Mandic and Kuzmanovic are now a great potential. It’s a big tradition, it’s always a lot to look at them, and now I’ll have the opportunity to meet them and work with them. I talked a lot with Filip Ivic, who played in France. He is quite hired around the camp and I am happy to come to Croatia and to cooperate.
What do you expect in Omiš?
– I know it’s the best camp for handball goalkeepers in the world and I come to make sure. I am sure it will be a great experience, and I believe it will help my sons of 12 and nine years who started training handball. I am looking forward to meeting that part of Croatia too, so far I have been to Poreč, Zagreb … but I have heard that part of the coast from Split to Dubrovnik is the most beautiful. This is the first time I have come privately, not as a player but with my family. I know that people in Croatia are great, I believe this will be a nice experience and that I will learn a lot …
