One of the most beautiful handball stories, the one with a signature Didier Dinar, she turned the first page in Guadeloupe - the man who was called the rock from a small island in the Caribbean Sea became a legend in France.
The smiling giant was a world champion as a player and as a coach, and then he arrived in Montenegro, in order to once again move from a small country to great things.
Dinar became the coach of the "lions" at a delicate moment, after the disaster in the play-off for the World Cup against Italy, but the boy who at the age of 16 had to leave the sunny Caribbean and go into the unknown, has learned over the years that situations without a way out do not exist.
- Before I became a selector, I knew that Montenegro was a great handball nation with talented players. I was also aware of the country's reputation for its natural beauty, but upon arrival I was even more amazed. I look forward to continuing to visit it and learn more about Montenegrin culture, which I believe is essential for understanding and leading the team - said Dinar in a New Year's interview for "Vijesti".
To begin with, practically with two training sessions, he brought Montenegro two victories in the qualifiers for the European Championship, probably crucial for the return of the "lions" to major competitions.
- I had a very positive feeling from the first moment in Montenegro. The audience is passionate, informed and very sporty. A warm welcome makes matches on our field particularly motivating, which pushes the team to surpass themselves and achieve good results - Dinar is clear.
Handball in Montenegro is not a surprise
The legendary handball player introduced us a little more to the French overseas territory from which he comes, but he also recalled the moments when he had to make the most important decision in his life.
- The slogan of Guadeloupe is "Land of champions", because we really have talents in many sports. However, in order to progress and reach a professional level, I had to leave my island at the age of 16... I joined a training center in Dijon, France. This departure was not easy: I had to leave my family, my habits and my culture behind. But success requires motivation, self-improvement and sacrifice. Today I am proud of this trip - explained Dinar.
And Montenegro is a small country - does it surprise you that a country of 650.000 inhabitants has a lot of good handball players, good results?
- No, that doesn't surprise me. It's a bit like Guadeloupe: a small territory where sport plays a central role. This testifies to the real handball culture in Montenegro, supported by the serious work of its Association, which invests with passion in the development of this sport. And the players show great commitment. However, there are still steps to be taken and efforts to continue performing on the international stage. France, for example, did not become Olympic champions overnight - it took time, work and the right development strategy.
I didn't mind not playing in attack
Didje Dinar is probably the best defensive player of all time - was it difficult to find the motivation to play practically only defensively, without many moves in attack, goals...
- I have always been a perfectionist in handball. That's why I decided to focus on defense, with the aim of excelling in that area. Not playing in attack never bothered me, because I knew that my defensive role was essential. I was always looking for a way to be the best in that position, so it is justified that I exclusively dedicated myself to defense.
Many great handball masters were on the other side, is there anyone who was particularly difficult to stop?
- I didn't really have a specific player who was particularly difficult to guard. My goal has always been to improve year after year in order to adapt and outperform my opponents. My approach has always been to try to be better, to anticipate and adapt in order to gain an advantage over them - explained Dinar.
Everything is known about Dinar and France - the Montenegrin coach was part of the generation that dominated world handball, which they called "experts", which "bite" two Olympic (2008, 2012) and European (2006, 2010) golds, as and three world championships (2001, 2009, 2011).
- What was the secret of that national team? The success of France is based on the experience accumulated over the years. Before we started winning, we experienced defeats that allowed us to progress and stabilize our game. This made it possible to build a solid framework, which reached full maturity, spawning an exceptional team during that period.
Kanaje, Kostantini, Dushebaev...
As a player, Dinar was shaped by two coaching legends - Patrice Canaye i Danijel Kostantini. As a coach today, how much do you use what you learned from them or did you take the most from a third coach?
- Kanaje played a role at the beginning of my career, as did Costantini, who gave me a chance with the French national team. Modern handball relies heavily on the reading game, and I draw inspiration from what I have learned from these two coaches, as well as others like The talent of Duyshebaeva. All these experiences allowed me to enrich my vision of the game.
10
medals from major competitions were won by Dinar as a player, and seven of them were gold - three from the world and two each from the Olympic Games and the European Championships
He emphasized that he also learned lessons from his own journey as a player...
- And I adapt all that to the evolution of handball. I also try to adapt to each team I coach, promoting individual talent, because each player is unique and brings his own contribution to the team.
How I became a world champion as a coach
Accustomed to success during his playing career, Dinar very quickly conquered the planet as a coach of France - leading former teammates such as Nikola Karabatić, Daniel Narcissus, Tijeria Omejea, Luke Abaloa...
- I became the world champion in 2017, but I coached the French team since 2013. I started as an assistant, which allowed me to get to know the team well, and I had the role of a player myself. This title was the result of many years of work. I knew the group very well and there was already a solid foundation on which to build - Dinar recalled
And he won that title without defeat in front of the home fans...
- The World Cup at home provides additional motivation and no one thought that this opportunity should be missed. During the competition, I had to make tough decisions in order to maintain the momentum and achieve the goals. The team was determined, well prepared and we accepted the challenge. As someone who always competes, I was not surprised by that result, because everything was in place to make it a success - says Dinar.
Leos have potential, but others have also worked hard to succeed
When he arrived in Montenegro, the famous Frenchman emphasized that he wanted to build a real system first of all.
- For the national team, it is necessary for him to exist. As a coach, when you join a new team, you have to establish clear principles, both in defense and attack, with systems adapted to different situations... Montenegro has the potential and necessary qualities to achieve better results in the future - Dinar is clear.
However...
- As I mentioned earlier, it will take time and a lot of work. It is important that we build everything step by step. I gave the example of the French team, but other nations also had to build and work hard to achieve success. For now, the main goal is to structure the team and lay a solid foundation in order to tackle the next challenges with quality - concluded the born champion from the "island of champions".
Bonus video:
