Different motivation, same goals for French line players

Both line players, just like eight other French internationals, have been meeting up in Cologne since Thursday.

“We just ask how the family is doing as we are away from each other most of the season,” Fabregas says. “For now, the atmosphere is pretty relaxed. But I am sure everybody will get in his own bubble come Friday night to really focus on the goal we all have.”

While both French line players share the same ambition of winning the trophy with their respective club, each of them has his own reason to be a bit extra motivated.

Luka Karabatic’s older brother, Nikola, will not play this weekend due to phlebitis, which has sidelined him since February. However, Nikola Karabatic has joined his PSG teammates on their trip to Cologne.

“It is an extra motivation to have him by our side. He has been away from the team for some time but now he is able to travel with us. His presence is really something positive as Nikola has a lot of experience,” Luka Karabatic explains.

The youngest of the Karabatic brothers has the possibility to help his brother become the first player ever to win four EHF Champions League titles with four different clubs. Nikola contributed 31 goals in the eight matches he has played this season.

“I am trying not to think about it right now. When we come to the EHF FINAL4, there are many things on our minds, so we try to focus on the main part, which is making it to the final for now,” says Luka Karabatic, a day before PSG will take on Barlinek Industria Kielce in the second semo-final on Saturday at 18:00 CEST.

 says. “But of course, Nikola would deserve to win the trophy and if we qualify for the final, the chance of winning it for him will be another extra motivation.”

For Fabregas, there is no missing Barça player he would want to win the trophy for. But for the French line player, this EHF FINAL4 is the last opportunity in his five seasons with Barça to lift the trophy one more time in the blaugrana jersey.

It is not the first time Fabregas is saying goodbye to a club at an EHF FINAL4: in 2018, he was set to leave Montpellier HB – and join Barça – a few weeks after Cologne, where he won his first title.

“I will try to do the same thing as I did back then, which is try to focus on the games and not too much on the emotions,” Fabregas says. “I know the media and my family are talking about it, and I already said goodbye to the Palau Blaugrana a couple of days ago, but I try only to focus on the two games this weekend.”

It worked perfectly in 2018 when Fabregas became the best scorer of the final against HBC Nantes with six goals, helping Montpellier to win their second EHF Champions League trophy.

But to his own admission, things might be a little bit different this time.

“Back then, I was a bit more innocent, I did not think about what was ahead of me. Now, I am more mature and I think a little bit more about what is around handball as well,” Fabregas says.

But ahead of the first semi-final on Saturday at 15:15 CEST – against SC Magdeburg – there is not much time to think about his move to Telekom Veszprém HC in the summer.

“I have too much respect for Barça, a club that I have been a fan of since I was a kid, to screw everything up,” he says.

“For now, the focus is on this weekend, and then I will think about the future.”

photos © Uros Hocevar / kolektiff, Victor Salgado, Joachim Azouze