Kamil Syprzak: 'Every opponent is the best in the world'

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On Saturday afternoon, the Paris Saint-Germain Handball return to Lidl StarLigue action as they play host to Créteil in their Round 16 clash. Heading into the match, our Polish pivot Kamil Syprzak sat down with us for a long chat.

Psg.fr: You returned to competition last week. How do you feel?
Kamil Syprzak: I feel very good. Everyone's back from their respective national team and in good shape, which is important for the rest of the season. We'll have a lot of complicated matches to play, at a hectic pace because of all the rescheduled matches. We will need everyone.

You talked about the World Cup. You missed out on going - was that a big disappointment?
Of course it was. Especially at the beginning... I took a maximum of precautions, but unfortunately I was still tested positive for COVID... But now I feel much better! I kept an eye on how my Parisian team-mates did. They were very good! Mikky turned in the best performance as he brought home the gold medal. Viran (Morros) and Ferran (Solé Sala) also played a lot. They put up a big fight to beat France in the third-place play-off.

The Lidl StarLigue will swing back into action this weekend. What do you think of the level of competition this year?
It is constantly progressing from year to year. Every season there are good players coming in. The teams are getting stronger and stronger and the level is very good. We have to fight to win every match, especially away from home, even in an empty arena. But it's complicated for everyone because we're all in the same situation. I hope that the fans can come back very soon!

Has COVID made the season even more complicated?
Yes, much more so! Sometimes we lose key players just before a match... Other times we don't play at all. Even a very good team on paper can find itself diminished at the last moment and that changes everything.

Before the winter break, you beat Nantes (24-26) and Montpellier (32-36). Were these important results in the race for the title?
It's always complicated to play those sides away from home... Those two teams are always very motivated against us and very aggressive in defence. The two matches were different but equally important. I think we deserved our wins. We are very satisfied with our first half of the season (13 wins from 13 matches).

Is your perfect record in the championship crucial or is it only the title that counts?
Everybody wants the title and we're focused on every game. We prepare for each game in the same way, analysing our opponent and working hard. We also try to progress and be better every day.

On Saturday, you face Créteil. Relegation contenders, but still dangerous?
They're also a team that are tough to play. Honestly, every club lifts their game when they play us. Créteil's ranking is of little importance; we will take them on as if they were the best opponent in the world. We are ready to do our job. We have respect for all the teams and I hope we win.

You will have the opportunity to score your 200th goal for Paris (currently 197 in all competitions). Did you know that?
No [laughs]. That's not the most important thing. I'm very happy to perform well and make people happy. I'm also happy if my teammates can rely on me. I do my job for them! I feel very good here. However, I might not score as much as Mikkel Hansen [laughs].

 

(Credits: TeamPics/PSG)