The Limited Times

Now you can see non-English news...

Champions League: "I would never have thought of returning to Paris as an opponent", says Abalo

2020-10-15T06:36:53.441Z


The PSG Champions League match this Thursday against the Norwegians of Elverum is marked by the return of Luc Abalo who has been playing since this summer.


The privileged people who will cross the barrier gestures to enter the Pierre-de-Coubertin stadium this Thursday evening (kick-off at 8:45 p.m., live on BeIN Sport) will recognize and say thank you to number 19 worn by a player from the Norwegian club d 'Elverum.

Here, this monument is at home: he played hundreds of matches between 2012 and 2020, winning the trifle of 7 French league titles before discreetly leaving for other horizons during confinement.

He headed for Scandinavia to finish an extraordinary career.

His name is Luc Abalo and he is at the head of one of the most prestigious awards in French sport.

How do you feel when you come back to Paris?

LUC ABALO.

Honestly not much as I have only been gone 5 weeks.

If I had been gone longer, it would make me weird but I stayed all summer in Paris as during the entire confinement and I have not yet had time to miss it.

This lack will come, maybe, I don't know yet.

Does seeing all your former partners already give you any particular emotion?

I haven't thought about it since I left.

I frankly prepared this match as if it was a match like any other without thinking about the guys in front.

We play against a team that is supposed to be stronger than ours, which is favorite and which plays at home.

I don't have such a different feeling than when we played in Porto at the start of the season.

You should all the same expect a special welcome ...

I don't know and that's why I don't want to make a movie.

If so, we will be told before kick-off that the match is being played behind closed doors.

With this Covid, it's hard to think of things in advance.

[TICKETS] ⚠️ last places available to attend this @ ehfcl match and @lucabalo's return to the Pierre de Coubertin Stadium

- PSG Handball (@psghand) October 14, 2020

How do you adapt to Norwegian life?

Everything is fine, but I don't have time to do much, still because of this virus.

When you travel you always have to take tests and you cannot leave until you have the result.

Since I arrived, I mainly work my English on my own at home and in the gym, I also learn new tactical movements.

I'm actually at home or in the gym and haven't had a chance to visit Elverum yet.

Newsletter - Most of the news

Every morning, the news seen by Le Parisien

I'm registering

Your email address is collected by Le Parisien to enable you to receive our news and commercial offers.

Learn more

When your name is Luc Abalo, do you still learn tactical movements?

All the teams play differently and if you want to play with the collective you have to play certain tactics.

In handball, this is called the “interlocking” specific to each team.

It is the collective game of Elverum that I am learning, not the individual game.

And whether my name is Luc Abalo or not does not change anything.

When you arrived in early December, the club's fans gave you a triumphant welcome ...

It was very very nice and surprising.

I did not expect that.

I'm really happy because it shows that the club wants to do something and that it shows an interest in my coming.

It really motivated me.

What is your desire on the occasion of your reunion with PSG?

Winning, of course.

PSG had a complicated start to the Champions League (2 defeats in 2 games) and I hope for us that it will last another evening even if I also wish the best to this club which is dear to me.

We must take advantage of this state of affairs: we have nothing to lose and we are a team that comes to do ...

Have you had exchanges in recent days with your former teammates?

We are asked all the time this kind of question when there is a reunion, we are asked if we are sleeping between us

(smile)

.

Never !

We always stay cool with our friends ...

We weren't thinking of rooming, but just checking in with you ...

So there yes.

Two weeks ago Niko (Karabatic) called me to check on me but we haven't talked about the match.

We've been teammates for a long time and when we hear from you, it's nice.

Lots of people like my former coach at Ivry Stéphane Imbratta are also calling me.

It intrigues them to know how we work in Norway and how I feel there.

And that's cool.

Do you know the changing room of the visiting team in Coubertin?

Yes, I knew him when I came with Ivry. At the time, PSG was with Canal +. It proves that I've been here for a long time. I never imagined coming to play in Paris when I was still Ivry and never after spending so much time at PSG. Honestly, I never thought I would come back one day as an opponent.

Source: leparis

All sports articles on 2020-10-15

You may like

Trends 24h

Latest

© Communities 2019 - Privacy

The information on this site is from external sources that are not under our control.
The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.