Nikola Karabatic: 'I do everything at 100%'

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After making his return to action in January, after foot surgery in November, Nikola Karabatic has said he is very happy to be back following his passion. The Paris Saint-Germain playmaker also spoke about les Rouge et Bleus' objectives, notably in the Velux EHF Champions League.

Psg.fr: Let’s talk about the World Cup. How was it returning to the France team?
Nikola Karabatic: In the beginning, I was there as the 17th man. I said that I would be ready to step in in case someone got injured. Unfortunately, Cédric Sorhaindo got inured early on… I returned to the squad and I was very happy be able to play again and be a part of the team that won bronze.

Would you have liked to do better?
There is some disappointment… we lost our semi-final to Denmark by a big margin. Even though they were the better team, I don’t think they were that much better than us. The scoreline didn't reflect the quality of our team, and that's what is disappointing. The fact of finishing third did something to make us feel better and we left the tournament smiling. But we also know that we have ot work very hard to get back to the very highest level.

You spoke about the bronze medal… you were the one who scored the winning goal (in the 25-26 win against Germany - on the final buzzer)!
It's crazy that it was I who scored the winner! It's just a detail, but the things that happen in sport can be really crazy. Especially as we could have scored form the preceding attack. But in the end it was I who was in the right position to get us the win at the death. In sport, when you win in the last second, the emotion is even stronger and I was thrilled to be the catalyst and to share that with my friends. For me, at that moment, the medal we got was as good as gold.

It was the result, and perhaps the reward, for a lot of hard work in your return from injury…
For me, the benchmarks in sport are people like Thierry Omeyer, who at 42 years old is still one of the more motivated guys around. It's about being a competitor and being able to give 100% in any role you're given… Each match, each competition is a new challenge. The fact that I have won things in the past doesn't mean I'm about to rest on my laurels. I do everything at 100% and that will be the case until the end of my career.

Since the beginning of the season, you have been working with a new coaching set-up (Raul Gonzalez et Jesus Gonzalez). How's it going?
Really well! They have new methods and use video a lot. WE blend good humour with hard work and professionalism. It's a pleasure to work with such coaches who are so committed to their jobs. They live and breathe PSG. They will take us a long way and it's a pleasure to play for them.

How are they planning to play you?
For the moment, in defence and with a bit of involvement in playing the ball into attack. But I'm there to help the team. It's up to Raul to decide how I can best be of service. I'm really happy with that arrangement! And when he plays me in attack, I will rise to the challenge.

On Sunday, you take on Zagreb, and you have a chance to firm in top spot in Champions League Group B...
It's very important for us to top the group - so we can have to weekends off and skip the round of 16. For the moment, we're on the right track - we've had an excellent group stage campaign. Two of our three remaining matches are at home, so top spot should be within our grasp. At any rate, that's our objective!

Check out the first part of our interview with Nikola Karabatic on video here.

(Credits: TeamPics/PSG)