13 seconds before the end of the match between Germany and France in the quarter-finals of the men’s handball competition at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, France were up by two goals. Then, Germany’s right back, Renars Uscins, scored a goal.

6 seconds before the end, France were up one goal, had a team time-out, but Dika Mem misplaced a pass, Germany gained posession and Uscins scored another goal, pushing the match into extra-time.

There, France simply did not have the gas to contend for the win. And just like that, after the 34:35 extra-time loss, the career of one of the best players in the world – if not the best in many’s opinion – was over.

“I knew fully well that the match against Hungary might be my last in handball. Then, every next match could potentially be my last and my career finished,” said Karabatic after France avoided an early exit in the preliminary round, bouncing back after being down two goals against Hungary in Paris.

But here, it hit different. It was not about only the exit from the Olympics, with France missing out on a medal in their home Games. It was not about a painful loss – Karabatic had many of them, including a quarter-finals loss in his debut at the Olympic Games, Athens 2004.

It was the realisation that everything was over, his life as he knew it, done and dusted. To put it into perspective, the player who scored 14 goals for Germany in Karabatic’s farewell match, Renars Uscins, was only five months old when France’s left back made his debut in the national team, in October 2002.

"Now it's the moment I end my career. I will cherish the time with my teammates in the locker room, the last moment with them to maybe drink a beer, reflect on everything and be there to cheer them up, because it's a tough moment for us and for me too. Then will come a time of looking back at what I have achieved with my teams, the clubs and with the national team. Of course, it's huge. I've never wanted to look back, because I always look forward, but now it's the end of my first life, so I will be able tomorrow to reflect on that and to also enjoy the ride that I have had," said Karabatic after the match.

Once the final whistle was blown in the match and the Video Replay confirmed that nothing was wrong in the last shot of the match, when Valentin Porte missed, Karabatic knew that his career was over.

The stunned spectators stood in silence, but once reality kicked in, everybody stood up and started clapping for Karabatic. Both teams formed a guard of honour, to celebrate a fantastic career, which saw the left back score 1300 goals for France, win 17 medals at major international competitions, including three Olympic golds, four world titles and four European titles.

 

 

 

 

Vezi această postare pe Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

O postare distribuită de IHF (@ihfworldhandball)

The arena cheered, Karabatic tried to control his tears, as over 27.000 spectators clapped and cheered, a huge sign of respect for a player who dedicated all his life to handball.

"I will miss my teammates. This is what I have realised in the last two years, in the last season. I knew from the beginning that it was going to be my last season, so I have been enjoying everything all the time, enjoying the fact that I was living with my teammates. This is what I have done since I was maybe 12, 13 years old. I will miss to be with them, to rise with them, the time in the locker room, to have fun with them, the jokes, the camaraderie. I will be not on my own, because I have my family and my friends around me, but this life is all about teammates and achieving (things) with a collective sport. This is what I will miss," added Karabatic.

That Germany players, after that exhausting win, both physically and mentally, were there to celebrate Karabatic’s career, made the perfect example of fair-play, with the Olympic spirit flying high in the Stade Pierre Mauroy in Lille.

While it was not the perfect send-off for Karabatic – that would have surely been with another gold medal around his neck – making him the first player in history with four gold medals at the Olympics, this was also a true celebration of a magnificent career, which set some record hard to achieve.

"Receiving a lot of respect, admiration and a lot of love, it was nice to live this moment, but also it was a little bit tough because we lost and I would have loved to leave that with a medal around my neck. But I want to say thank you to the German teams, to my teammates, to all the 27,000 people who were there and waited for me,” adds Karabatic.

A new chapter in his life is now open. But his fantastic career will always be there, an inspiration for many. And as everything went full circle, Karabatic’s former teammate, Guillaume Gille, now the head coach of France, also paid a tribute to the all-time great.

“It is a strange feeling, because we do not want to say goodbye to Nikola, Vincent and Valentin, because they gave so much for the French handball. We focused on this match and reach the next stage. It is quite strange to see that Karabatic will not play anymore for France with his number 13 jersey,” said Guillaume Gille.