France men’s handball team beats Romania 34-27 in Euro 2028 qualifier in Aix-en-Provence, Digi Mart USA News (Aix-en-Provence, France): France took the win over Romania in the first match of the Euro 2028 qualifiers on Thursday, November 5, in Aix-en-Provence. Romania, a historic handball nation rebuilding around its young talent, competed well throughout the match.
Coach Talant Dujshebaev, who is still learning the methods of the Spanish school, did not dominate the match but used the game to build chemistry among the players. He made no concessions to local players, leaving out Eliott Desblancs, the only Aix-en-Provence player and a product of the Boulouris regional training center, as well as Théo Monar, who was in the group.
Karl Konan, a defender for PSG, and Aymeric Minne, a center back for Flensburg who was trained in Provence, were the only local players named to the match sheet. France’s back line featured Prandi, Minne and Mem alongside captain Fabregas.
The trio needed about fifteen minutes to pull away from a Romanian side led by Iosif Andrei Buzle, the back of Dinamo Bucharest who had recently beaten Montpellier.
Around the quarter-hour mark, the French veterans began to settle into their rhythm, with Aymeric Minne scoring to make it 10-8 in the seventh minute. Despite rotations on the French side, including the entry of goalkeeper Valentin Kieffer in place of Charles Bolzinger, Romania stayed in the match even through a weak stretch, trailing 15-13 in the 30th minute.
One notable feature of the squad was the return of Hugo Descat, chosen over Drevy Paschal, who had been a favorite of Saint-Raphaël Var handball last season and was uncertain with Montpellier after the club’s exit from the Champions League. Descat, who plays for Veszprém and was used in a pure winger role, returned for his 79th cap, including a shot from a nearly impossible angle in the 36th minute that gave his team a 19-14 lead.
The entry of Nedim Remili and his assists for Ludovic Fabregas helped France secure the win with experience. Romania, unafraid, continued to fight, as seen in a kung-fu style play finished by Grigoras, and trailed only 23-19 in the 46th minute.
Several Romanian turnovers and gaps in the visitors’ defense allowed France to pull away, with the final score reaching 34-27.
France will close this first block of qualifiers with a trip to Latvia on Sunday at 2:10 p.m. local time, before turning its attention to the World Championship in Germany in January 2027.
The match also marked the first steps of Cédric Sorhaindo as assistant coach of Romania, a few days after his appointment. His name was honored in the venue on the French national team’s Hall of Fame, which travels across France with the team.
“It was emotional. The French national team has been a big part of building me as a man,” said Dinamo’s coach.
“It is a privilege. My hand was moving during La Marseillaise.
Jackson Richardson and Joël Abati came. It is recognition from my peers.”
The French legend, an Olympic champion, four-time world champion and two-time European champion, traded the blue jersey for a gray polo shirt that filled out his imposing frame. On the sidelines, he spoke the “language of the field” in French, Spanish and a few words of Romanian: “We showed a better face.
There will be better days. Our victory is seeing players invested.”
