Elohim Prandi leads Les Bleus to another title

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At the end of a week of international break marked by a new title for the French team and qualification for the Olympic Games for Ferran Solé Sala's Spain, check out all the results from our Rouge et Bleu internationals.

ELOHIM PRANDI IMPERIOUS

Almost two months after the historic triumph at EHF Euro 2024, Les Bleus were back in action this week with a friendly tournament: the Trophée des Continents, which brought together France, Argentina, Japan and Egypt, all of whom had already qualified for the Olympic Games thanks to their continental triumphs. The Sud de France Arena in Montpellier played host to some gala encounters. Les Bleus, who had already beaten Argentina 32-23, secured another title with a 39-31 victory over Egypt on Saturday. It was a match in which Elohim Prandi shone, finishing top scorer with seven goals. Mathieu Grébille, who came on as a substitute during the match, also pitched in with the rest of the team to contribute to France's fine victory.

FERRAN SOLÉ SALA SENDS SPAIN TO THE OLYMPICS

While some nations were devoting this international week to friendly matches, others still had to punch their ticket for the Olympic Games. This was particularly the case for Spain, who had the good fortune to be the host nation of their Olympic Qualifying Tournament group. In Granollers, Jordi Ribeira's men had cruised past Bahrain (39-27) and Slovenia (32-22) earlier in the week, but Brazil gave La Roja a tough time on a thrilling final day. Continuing the superb form he has shown with the capital club, Ferran played a key role in a come-from-behind win (28-26), finishing as the match's top scorer with seven goals. The win ensured that Spain finished top of their group and booked their place at the Olympic Games this summer. The Rouge et Bleu winger could well cross paths with a number of Parisians there, particularly in the group stages. We'll find out on 16 April, the date of the draw at the Maison du Handball.

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MIXED RESULTS IN FRIENDLIES FOR PARIS' OTHER INTERNATIONALS

Despite hoping to erase the disappointment of a disappointing Euro, Poland once again found themselves in trouble in a friendly double-header against Serbia. Although they were soundly beaten in the first match (28-36), in which Kamil Syprzak found the net five times, the Red and Whites put on a much better show at the weekend. However, despite another four goals from our pivot, it was not enough to topple a Serbian side that had zero quit in them (25-26). Finally, while Luc Steins' Netherlands were held by the Czech Republic (29-29), Jacob Holm contributed to Denmark's victory over Switzerland (30-25).

(Credits: Equipe de France Handball)