Euro handball: “It’s a miracle” for Nikola Karabatic

Nikola Karabatic (left back of the French team, BeIN Sport): “The last five-six minutes were very hard to live with because we could see that they had the upper hand in terms of confidence since the start of the second period, with their goalkeeper who had a very great match. They had a two-goal lead with a minute to go and at that point, I don't know the percentage chances of winning but they're not very huge. But we believed in it until the end. And on the free kick, I was on the bench and I told the others that I was sure Elo (Prandi) was going to score. We needed positive thoughts, it felt good and we were treated to this fantastic goal. It's a miracle."

Elohim Prandi (left back of the French team, BeIN Sport): “I am extremely proud. I'm not laughing at this direct free kick. It's part of my job. I have already demonstrated in the past that I am capable of making this type of shot. It is the trust of the team that lets me make these decisions and with this trust everything is achievable. I'm a badass and it wasn't possible to lose like that. Now we still have a final to play and that's all that matters to me now (…) We made the mistake of not putting the same intensity into the second half, we suffered from their pace. Palicka started to shoot a lot and psychologically, it was hard to live with. But we have acquired a strength of character that allows us to pull out these things. Nothing can stop us from now on.”

Guillaume Gille (France team coach, BeIN Sports): “We were on a rollercoaster during this match. We largely dominate the first period to switch with a very comfortable advantage, with the feeling of being in place. And then in the second half, we take a two-minute penalty that is a bit harsh, we start to miss simple situations, we are less precise defensively and we put Sweden back in the match. And then to be honest, with two goals down with a minute to go, we were half dead. Elo's shot, even if we know his abilities, I think he can retry it a good thousand times and I don't know if he does another one. Then, in overtime, we got back in the right direction with a very solid defense and we took control of this match. We really came very close to the correctional facility this evening. But the strength of this group is to not give up, to believe in it and to find the necessary resources even in the most difficult times. The scenario in the end is very improbable, we have to be very humble about the outcome of this game but we are in the final and it’s fantastic.”