Handball: Ludovic Fabregas, the most Catalan of the Blues

a dream come true

At the beginning, I was not programmed for very high level handball.

I practiced this sport with my friends in a small club in Banyuls, but without much ambition at the base except to have fun.

And then around the age of 15, I got more into the game and I wanted to push the experience further, to invest myself fully.

I was then lucky to be offered great opportunities and I knew how to seize my chance.

This allowed me to evolve in Montpellier, then in the France team.

It was only then that Barca became a real goal.

Joining this club was very important for my family, especially for my grandparents who are Catalan.

But for a long time, I admit that playing for such a club seemed unthinkable to me.

Play one day in Germany?

Maybe it will happen to me one day, but I have to admit that I am more Costa Brava and paella

For me, playing Spain is always a special moment given my origins.

Not to mention my wife and my son who are Catalan.

This adds a special value to these two matches, even if they are only friendlies.

Madame is for the beautiful game

No, she obviously supports me and I know she will be for the France team.

My son is too small, he is only a few months old.

He hasn't chosen his side yet but I have no doubt that he will support his dad when he is older.

The context is different.

Usually, we play Spain more in major competitions, and often in the last four.

But it's good to play different opponents from Denmark and Norway that we are used to facing in the Golden League.

Playing the Spaniards will force us to adapt to a different style of play, which can only bring us positive things to prepare for the next matches which, of course, are still far away but which will come quickly.

Spain don't have big guys, but they have a lot of very fine players tactically and technically, with a coach who dominates his subject and the analysis of opponents.

In defense, the Spaniards offer odd outings to bring the surplus on the ball side.

They have a perfect command of this system of play, which is also found a lot in the Spanish Championship.

There is also a real continuity between what the clubs offer and the selection, as if the latter were only the logical extension.

The French championship is tougher, but the Spanish style is very different, with a much faster and more tactical game in my eyes.

I also think that teams like Logrono or Granollers are a little underrated but when there are confrontations with French clubs on the European scene, we see that it's tight.

So I don't consider the Spanish championship as really weaker than the French.

Simply, the style of play is different.

And then it is enough to see that many big European clubs seek Spanish coaches to be aware of its value.

Before, I would have said Raul Entrerrios because I played with him.

He's a great player, and a very nice person too.

But quoting a player is difficult.

I rather want to highlight Ribera their trainer.

He is someone who always manages to get the best out of his troops.

Take Antonio Garcia for example.

Everyone thought he was on the downslope and in the end he brings a lot.

Imanol Garciandia also shows that he has enormous qualities.

This is the fruit of the players' work, but also of the coach's ability to call on the right people for the game he wants to put in place.

If we win these two matches, I will not embarrass anyone and if we lose them, I may to be chambered, even if I'm not sure that my teammates will get into this game.