“Mateo Garralda’s Heroic Performance in Handball Champions League Final Despite Hernia Injury and Controversial Refereeing”

“Movies like the old ones are no longer made,” say some film experts now, in a sign that perhaps time has passed them by. “There are no more soccer presidents like those of the 90s,” recall soccer fans from other times in the absence of show in the First Class boxes. Times change and many remember the past as something better than the present. Although May 3 we can ride that wave of comparison with the past to say, without fear of being wrong, that 20 years later there hasn’t been a crack like Mateo Garralda’s either after the Montpellier final.

“The referees have come here to tease and pimp us“, began the captain of Portland San Antonio de Pamplona after losing in the handball Champions League final. The Navarrese team had arrived the day before in the city in the south of France caressing his second title of the highest European competition. on the wayin a University Pavilion in Pamplona with full stands, the group led by Zupo Equisoain he beat the French with solvency 27-19 and traveled with eight goals margin.

In front, a rookie Montpellier in finals He did not foresee a comeback for any of the experts. The only big handicap of the situation was the serious physical problems that devastated the Pamplona squad at the end of the season. Highlighting the aforementioned Mateo Garraldacaptain of the team and six times continental champion up to that moment, who landed in Gallic lands a few hours after going through the operating room to try to contain some severe pain from a foraminal hernia [detrás del cuerpo vertebral y delante del arco vertebral, la parte más posterior de la vértebra] that the left without strength in one leg.

“They told me to rest. They are doing everything possible with the epidural to avoid the pain that the hernia causes me that I have on my back and that I play on Sunday”, he commented to the media in the preview, but being clear about his objective: “I’m going to go out to death against Montpellier. I have to lend a hand to the team“Unfortunately, Garralda was not the only one touched. Of the six players on the front row, only two were without serious injury.

What seemed impossible began to become possible with the start of the match and the pressure of thousands of people in the stands. Between a French team with names like Omeyer, Dinart, Karabatic or Guigou, where all of them would end up being handball legends, and a refereeing performance that outraged Portland, the bleeding became bigger and bigger. From 5-2 to 11-4 and from there, after a small reaction from the blue and white team, back to 22-14. From there, never again was he below the income of eight goals.

The atmosphere was heated on the Antonian bench. The decisions of Danish referees Boye and Jensen, with greater or lesser importance, always seemed to fall on the French side. The fuse was on. A time-out for the Montpellier coach, Patrice Canayer, with 30-19 on the scoreboard and with 28 seconds to go, gave up the fuel. The Portland players jumped onto the track and the pushing between the two teams began. Equisoain pointed indignantly and threateningly at his colleague from the rival team. From there to the end, seconds of shoving each time time was put on the line until the horn sounded at 31-19 and the first title for Montpellier.

The tension could be cut in the Rene Bougnol pavilion and the indignation was increasing. Mateo Garraldawho had given everything to play that final, takes the floor before the displaced Spanish media.

“I have a fucking foraminal hernia, I’m screwed. My fucking leg doesn’t respond“, nervously points out the right-back of Burlada, who is clear who the target of his criticism is:” So that these sons of bitches… I left my life! I went into a fucking fucking operating room, I risked my fucking back for two bastards to come and fuck you. Touch your balls. I am indignant”.

Garralda’s voice is getting lost in indignation. Hoarseness takes place in a countenance where there is little left for tears to appear. “Two scoundrels come and I’m playing my fucking back“, the captain continues. “So that two sons of bastards… two scoundrels come and pimp you. It is a shame!“.

It’s been 20 years but the fans of handball and sports in general who experienced it on television continue to have that post-match mixed zone still present. A ‘rajada’ of such caliber is not easily forgotten after such an important game. In the age of measuring every word in public, times have changed.

José Manuel Amorós is in charge of covering all sports and Olympic information. Born in Callosa de Segura (Alicante), he studied Journalism at the Miguel Hernández University and

he specialized with the Master of Sports Journalism at the Villanueva University Center. He trained in the Mediaset sports newsroom, where he was sent to major events such as Euro 2020 and multiple international sports competitions. Through social networks, he has become a benchmark in sports news. His objective will be the news, reports and stories of any sports discipline you can imagine.


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