Whether he played in attack or defense, the class was always there - Nikola Karabatić was the best handball player in the world for many years, one of the greatest of all time.
He was the leader of the famous generation of French handball, a man who won the European and world titles four times, was an Olympic champion three times, and won the Champions League as many times.
The handball giant was a guest on a new episode of the series (Un)success of the Champion, hosted this season by Slaven Bilić.
What was it that led Karabatić to the top and kept him there for so many years?
"The goal I had since I was little - that pulled me forward so much and I had to succeed. I expected a lot from myself, to always be the best, to always give my best. The fact that I wanted to be the best may sound arrogant, but it was something internal that pushed me every day to give my best on the field, in training... That was the biggest pressure for me and it wasn't easy to live with," Karabatić pointed out.
The legendary athlete recently retired, and Bilić asked him how he felt in his first season without the big responsibilities he was used to.
"Great. For the first time, I've lived without that inner goal of being the best on the field, in handball. Now I don't have that anymore. I don't have that sport anymore, that motivation, and I'm learning every day to live without pressure and the desire to celebrate in matches, win titles. I'm learning a normal life and it's nice. I enjoy being with my family. I have more time for my wife, children, friends. Every day I'm learning how to use everything I've learned through sport, through that incredible career, how to use it not only in professional sports, but with kids, with the media... I'm learning a new life," Karabatić emphasized.
Does he miss handball...
"It's not that I don't miss handball, but I don't miss the competition. That mentality that pushes you to be the best, to give your all, to be better than the one across from you, than everyone else, than all the other teams. I don't miss that mentality, because then you're only happy when you win, only when you win a medal."
He is still surrounded by sports and handball every day:
"I'm still an ambassador for Paris Saint-Germain. Then the kids are here, my son plays handball. I come to every game, I watch handball on TV, I have a contract with beIN Sports, the French program that broadcasts handball - in short, I don't miss handball because I didn't leave. I also have an academy with my brother."
From Niš to Paris: I was never a stranger
Nikola was born in Niš. His father Branko comes from the Trogir area, he was a handball goalkeeper who got a contract at Mehanica from Niš where he met Nikola's mother Radmila. When Nikola was three and a half years old, she was finishing her medical studies. They moved to Paris, what was it like growing up in France?
"We were always very proud of our roots. Former Yugoslavia, Croatia, Serbia... But at the same time, dad was proud when we got citizenship, I never felt like a foreigner. Always like a Frenchman - half French, half Yugoslav. I think that helped me a lot and opened my thoughts and that attitude and respect towards all nations and all people."
He inherited discipline from his father, fire from his mother.
Father Branko – handball goalkeeper, physical education teacher, coach and above all – a life guide.
"I couldn't have had a better role model at home... From my dad I got discipline, and at the same time you have to enjoy life because life is beautiful. From my mom I got that fire, that inner fire that I see in all athletes of the former Yugoslavia that pushes them to be the best, to achieve something great."
On the topic of crucial decisions in life, Nikola Karabatić highlighted a conversation with his father that forever changed his way of thinking and attitude towards the game. After a poorly played game when he was 15, his father pointed out to him that the problem was not missed shots, but something he was unaware of at the time – fear, which prevented him from continuing the game.
"The pressure was too great not to miss again and you stopped. If you want to, if your goal is to be the best in the world and to play for the national team, if one or two losses in this small game derail you, then it's over, you won't succeed. The stress will be too great for you, the pressure too. Then it's better to stop immediately. Think about it and tell me tomorrow whether you want to continue or not... The first time my dad put me in front of a wall and I had to decide. That was very important to me and I said: No dad, I want to continue.
He never felt fear again.
"Since then, I've never been afraid on the field again. Even though I was 16, 17 years old, playing in the first league and at 18 playing for the national team, I was never afraid."
Nikola talks about the legendary rivalry with Ivan Balić, which marked an era in handball, and the unforgettable matches between France and Croatia.
"Ivano is one of the best handball players of all time. He's a legend, and at the same time we never played together on a team. We were always against each other. I remember that year in 2009 when we played, all the media was just expecting the France - Croatia match in the final. I read an article in which they quoted something I didn't say against Ivan - that this rivalry was being staged when I respected him so much."
He continued in a similar vein…
"I think it was out of our control that something like that developed. As a player, of course I wanted to be better than Ivan because as an athlete, the goal is to compete and be better than the others and better than the best. I always watched him play and admired him and Croatia, how they played, the players they had. But at the same time, it was a great rivalry because I knew that if we wanted to be the best as a team, if I wanted to be the best, we had to beat them," Karabatić concluded.
Bonus video:
