Handball: How Saint-Raphaël achieved 5th place, synonymous with Europe

Last year, Saint-Raphaël Var handball finished its season in 9th ^place , in the soft underbelly of the Starligue. This Saturday evening, against USAM (31-27), the Varois finished a season in ^5th place, as candidates for Europe. "We had put together a three-year project," recalls right winger Martial Caïs. "This match is the culmination of our work."

The Raphaëlois shrugged off any pressure or emotion related to the context of the match. "I don't think many players in the team have had anything to play for in their careers on the final day of the championship. We wanted to approach it with boundless energy," said captain Johannes Marescot. "Use the emotion to be twice as strong..."

A collective demonstration

Standing out in front of direct candidates has become the specialty of the Raphaëlois. And whether it was against Toulouse ( ^4th ), a point ahead, or Nîmes ( ^6th ), this evening's opponent, the Varois signed a 4/4 against these two teams. "We played at our level," summarizes center half Sergio Pérez. "We have players with a lot of quality. It's us, quite simply, it's Saint-Raph."

This year, Benjamin Braux's men have reached a milestone, collectively, without being dependent on an individual. "Collective strength has been our credo throughout the season," points out the pivot. "We juggled between injuries, absences... We still managed to get the job done. I'm thinking of the Aix match where we were missing a lot of players, key players, and we managed to win there. This evening (Saturday) , we missed Andreas (Lang, injured ankle) , Chema (Marquez) , who we didn't have all season. We can see that it's paying off." During this match, Saint-Raphaël was only non-European for 45 seconds.

The time of maturity

Panic could have swept through the ranks. Shooting success could have been irreparably halted. Temporary suspensions could have appeared. But no. "This proves that the team is growing, " explains the emotional captain. "We need to continue to mature and improve our game. I'm proud of the guys, of the team, and I can't wait for next year."

A face that portends great things. In fond memory of the club's veterans, who came for Raphaël Caucheteux's farewell (read elsewhere). "I saw a team with young players. A lot of defensive desire, which is good. Freshness in attack," comments Spaniard Dani Sarmiento, center-half from 2016 to 2022. "The European Cup is a tough and demanding competition, but the team has the foundation to continue working and achieve great things."

When will this "wild card" be available for the C2?

Heads must have been aching yesterday morning, the party must have been so beautiful. But there was something missing from the celebrations: a small European flag. The fault lies with this "wild card" for the EHF European League (C2), which is still in short supply. "It's not official, but we're ready. There's no reason why not," reassures president Pascal Bacchi. "We have the budget, the capacity, everything we need." Limoges, in the same situation last season, had to wait until July 9, 2024, even though it had finished its season on May 31...

A ticket to the qualifying round? Direct access to the group stage of the preliminary round? The answer (if all goes well) will be available this June.