Luka Karabatic: 'The hardest thing is to stay on top'
Luka Karabatic spoke to Paris Saint-Germain Handball ahead of their match against Ivry Liqui Moly StarLigue Round 2 on Sunday afternoon. Our captain talked to us about Les Rouge et Bleu's next match, the level of the championship and the last season alongside Nikola.
You've won all your matches since the start of the season, in several competitions. How do you feel about that?
"I'm satisfied with our start. We had quite a long preparation period. We worked hard and we saw that there were areas we needed to improve. But I think we've done well when you look at our performances since the start of the official matches. It's all very positive, but there are still a lot of games to go."
One of them was a 37-27 win over Limoges to kick off the league campaign. Is that satisfying?
"Yes, we got the job done. Winning by ten goals against Limoges is a good result. But once again, despite the win, we continued to work hard because we saw that there were still things we could do better. That's always our watchword."
Do you think the championship is even stronger than in previous seasons?
"It's getting tougher all the time. Last season, it came down to almost nothing. The teams behind us come in with a lot of ambition and the desire to win the title. Now it's back up for grabs and we know it's going to be even more difficult. The hardest thing is to stay on top. We have to avoid the pitfalls. It's an excellent challenge."
You play Ivry on Sunday. Is it ever easy to go there?
"They're a club with a lot of experience at the top level. We know them well. Ivry will be playing for survival and we know that these are the teams that give their all and do you no favours. Especially at home. We'll have to be vigilant. We'll have to approach this game well, but we have the experience to avoid that."
This is your ninth season with Paris. How are you feeling?
"I feel very good here. You realise that time flies, because it feels like I arrived yesterday. I'm as motivated as ever and I'm proud to wear these colours. I'm happy to have the confidence of the club, as I recently extended my contract. I want to continue enjoying myself on the court with my team-mates and go on winning titles.
This season will also be a special one, as it's the last one with your brother, Nikola?
"Yes, it will be special in that sense. But it won't just be special for me. It will be special for world handball, because we know how much Niko means to our sport. This year is going to go by very quickly and we want to make the most of it. Sometimes on the court you don't realise how lucky you are. We want to have fun in training and during the matches."
WATCH THE FIRST PART OF OUR VIDEO INTERVIEW WITH LUKA KARABATIC:
(Credits: L. Valroff/Team Pics/PSG)