By privatizing the sublime Arena du Pays d’Aix last week, and by forcing, at the same time, Thierry Anti’s team to fall back on the Saint-Raphaël sports hall to “welcome” the Germans from SC Magdeburg in the group stage of the European League, Julien Doré did not only borrow the room of the handball players of PAUC.
He also stole the show from a certain Karl Konan. The time of a concert at least. Because as soon as the interpreter of Coco Cuddle leaving, the Aix cauldron was already stamping with impatience at the idea of finding the one who is, without a doubt today, the new star of this Arena. A 7,000-seat enclosure that Konan has not really conquered by playing on Julien Doré’s register.
No, the revelation of the last Euro handball may have huge pianist hands and the left back of PAUC may spend part of his free time in front of a piano, it is with his handball hands that this A sturdy two-metre tall guy, he gradually made a place for himself in the hearts of the Aix public.
“I fell in love with the hand from the first time I played”
And yet, not everything was settled like clockwork for this player who discovered handball late and somewhat by chance.
“It was a night when I didn’t have basketball practicerecalls Konan. I saw some friends playing handball and I said to myself why not, it will make me sweat a little. So I tried and I can say that I fell in love with the hand from the first time I played “, says the left-back of PAUC.
The young man therefore swaps the basketball hoops for the small ball that sticks without imagining for a second that he would make this practice his future profession.
“It was not an objective to become a professional handball playersays Konan. I was doing well in my studies, I was about to start my first year of law and then I met Daouda Karaboué.”
Passing through Côte d’Ivoire, on his native land, the former goalkeeper of the France team, crowned Olympic champion in Beijing in 2008 and still gold medalist four years later in London with the Blues, immediately detects the potential of this still rough diamond and invites him to follow him to France to tour the various training centres.
After a stint in Chambéry, a refusal from Nantes and a proposal from Cesson, the young man finally commits to PAUC. “Even if my integration went well, the adaptation was difficultrecalls Konan. The discovery of a new culture and the rigor that the level imposes, it was not easy. But I had the chance to take advice from great coaches, to be well supervised“.
Launched by master “Noka”
Quickly integrated into the training sessions of the professional team, Konan gets to know a character who is undoubtedly to handball, what Philippe Lucas is to swimming, and discovers the requirement of Zvonimir Serdarusic known as “Noka” for close friends. .
The former coach of the German club Kiel, eleven times titled in the Bundesliga rages at this time on the side of Aix and does not let go of the young handball player.
Before launching him in 2015, against Cesson for what will remain the first of 159 Starligue matches that Konan has today on his clock.
“Karl is a pure product of the Aix training and he is a boy that we have seen growing up“, says Rares Fortuneanu, coach of a Saint-Raphaël Var handball which Konan will rub shoulders with this Saturday in the Arena du Pays d’Aix.
“He arrived from Africa and it was not easy at firstadds the one who has been running it for two years now in Aix. But he is very professional, he is always trying to learn and it is a pleasure to train this type of player. “, continues Thierry Anti.
“I fell behind in my trainingconcedes Konan. I still have things to look for, especially on the attack and even in defense, with two or three things to improve. If I want to reach the international level, I have to improve these small shortcomings.”
“This medal was a bit of an insult to the French team, but I kept it”
“Gaps” that did not cool the coach of the France team, Guillaume Gille when he appealed to the one who obtained French nationality in 2018.
After a first selection against Greece last May, Konan participates in Euro 2022 in Hungary where he shines in the eyes of the general public.
Despite the disappointment of a fourth place, rewarded by this famous chocolate-colored medal which caused so much talk. “I kept itconfides the Aixois.
“I can understand that the elders were hurt by this medal. It was a bit of an insult to the France team. But it remains a memory. And somewhere a source of motivation to prevent this kind of affront from happening. reproducewarns the one who intends to settle permanently in the group of Guillaume Gille. Even if by then, there are other competitions, the Paris Games in 2024, it is the target of all the Internationals”warns Konan.
“I try to settle down, to take my place. To seize opportunities. I inevitably have dreams, but I don’t lie to myself. I’m moving forward step by step. I know where I’m going, I have my goals, but I don’t skip the steps and I take them all. The good ones, like the bad ones.”
Wissem Hmam: “His versatility corresponds to modern handball and that’s probably what pleased Patrice Canayer”
The next, undoubtedly “good”, will take him to the side of Montpellier since the left-back of PAUC – who would have refused a six-figure offer to release him from his last year of contract – has signed up for the three next seasons with the Hérault club that a certain Wissem Hmam knows perfectly.
“Little by little, he goes through the stagesjudge the Raphaëlois, crowned champion of France six times with the MHB. He is a great player, he adapts to all positions and in particular to the role of pivot on the offensive phases. This versatility corresponds to modern handball and this is undoubtedly what pleased Patrice Canayer. It’s a very interesting profile.“, concludes the one who is today the deputy of Rares Fortuneanu at the SRVHB.
“Karl has attacking potential, that’s for sureadds Thierry Anti. And then he’s such a generous player, so charming, yes he’s a bit of a darling of the Arena public”concludes Anti.
An audience that Konan will find on Saturday. In Aix, the Doré page has been turned. Place now in the golden period of a certain Karl Konan.
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