Extend his range to become a more complete player: after having made the heyday of Nîmes, Elohim Prandi (22), considered by some to be the best handball player of his generation, arrives in Paris with the desire to take a new step.
His overpowering direct free kicks in the Starligue have made the rounds of social networks, like the one registered with Usam in Créteil in mid-February for one of his last appearances in the Nîmes jersey.
Just like his shot in the back in the European Cup (C2) against the Germans from Rhein-Neckar Löwen in early February 2020. To the delight of the EHF, which made it one of the attractions of the new season Champions League with PSG.
"He is someone who must be made to grow, mature, progress, because he has enormous qualities"
Bruno Martini
At only 22 years old, the boy (1.93m, 96 kg), by his spectacular actions, reminds the volleyball player Earvin Ngapeth.
From now on, he will have to gain consistency at the highest level, within one of the densest squads in Europe - with Barcelona, Kiel and Veszprem.
And the opportunity is offered to him to speak from Wednesday (8:45 p.m.) for the first match of the Parisians in C1 against the Germans of Flensburg in Coubertin.
“He has pretty incredible potential.
He is perhaps the best European player of his generation, ”praises PSG general manager Bruno Martini.
"He is someone who must be made to grow, mature, progress, because he has enormous qualities."
In the Gard, Prandi has mainly evolved as a left-back position.
His summer preparation in Paris, which allowed him to regain a healthy weight after a "carelessness" that he recognizes during confinement, also focused on the position of center-half, to add a new rope to his bow.
"Today, for me, a player must be versatile," he slips.
In Ivry, his training club, he explains that he also played on the right in defense, and in Nîmes, his club from 2017 to 2020, he made up for certain absences at the right-back position.
"These are assets, and being able to perform in a mid-center position is also something important", he insists.
Paris is counting on him to try to make forget the departure of one of the best players, if not the current best player, in the world, the Norwegian Sander Sagosen, who joined northern Germany and Kiel this summer.
And to take the plunge, he wants to register for the duration of a match.
“In Paris, I know I'm in a team where there are only the best players.
There are guys who are able to perform, whether they start or don't start a match, ”he slips.
"I remain a young pro, I want to continue to learn and refine my handball"
Elohim Prandi
"He comes into a different context, we are not going to ask him to carry the team, but we will ask him to be inspired by what others are doing, Nikola Karabatic, Mikkel Hansen in particular to correspond to equivalent positions", estimates Bruno Martini, who also relies on the physical power and initiative of Prandi.
“I'm still a young pro, I want to continue to learn and refine my handball,” says the back.
"He is a 22-year-old player, he is very advanced in certain aspects, but he has not succeeded anywhere, and fortunately", specifies, in the same direction, Martini.
Among the young people in the French team, he already has a nice track record: European champion of the under-18s in 2016, the world champion of the under-19s in 2017 and the under-21s in 2019. All that's left is 'to open the counter with the big boys, and Paris is the dream place to achieve it for this son of two former internationals, Mezuela Servier and Raul Prandi, who wore the blue jersey in the 1990s and 2000s.
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