Nikola Karabatić


Nikola Karabatić is a French former professional handball player who was named IHF World Player of the Year a male record-tying three times, in 2007, 2014, and 2016. He is regarded as one of the greatest players in handball history.
With the French national handball team, he won three Olympic gold medals, four World Championship gold medals as well as four gold medals in the European Championship. He also won L'Équipe Champion of Champions in 2011.
He was inducted into the EHF Hall of Fame in 2024.
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Club career

Karabatić began his professional career at the top French club Montpellier HB. There he became French champion in 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005 as well as winner of the EHF Champions League in [2002–03 European Handball Federation|EHF Champions League|2003]. He then played for the German club THW Kiel, who became German champions in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009, and won the EHF Champions League in 2007. In the summer of 2009 he left Germany and returned to Montpellier HB, winning three further French champion titles in 2010, 2011 and 2012. After a quick stay in Pays d'Aix Université Club handball, Aix-en-Provence, between February and June in 2013, he moved to FC Barcelona and then in 2015 and currently plays for PSG Handball.

International career

He is an Olympic, World and European champion. This makes eleven titles out of 17 medals won, which constitutes an absolute record.
He first became a European champion in the 2006 European Men's Handball Championship, subsequently becoming a bronze medallist in the 2008 edition of the championship. He has received two more bronze medals at the World Championships, in 2005 and 2019. At the 2007 World Men's Handball Championship, he was voted into the All-Star Team in which France finished fourth. He was also voted into the All Star Team at the 2004 European Men's Handball Championship.

Personal life

Karabatić was born in Niš, SFR Yugoslavia, to a Croatian father and Serbian mother. Karabatić's father Branko Karabatić, who was also a professional handball player, is originally from Vrsine, a village between Trogir and Marina in Croatia. In his career, Branko played for the Železničar handball team from Niš, which is where he met his wife Radmila, who is originally from Aleksinac, Serbia. The family moved to France after Karabatić's father got a coaching job there when Karabatić was years old. His younger brother, Luka, is also a professional handball player.
On 30 September 2012, he was involved in match-fixing and was arrested alongside his wife and his brother Luka.
In addition to French and Serbo-Croatian, he speaks English, German and Spanish.

Achievements

Club

International

Individual

  • IHF World Player of the Year – Men
  • * Winner: 2007, 2014, 2016
  • * Second: 2009, 2010, 2015
  • * Third: 2011
  • With French national team:
  • * Most Valuable Player of the World Championship : 2011, 2017
  • * Most Valuable Player of the European Championship : 2008, 2014
  • * Top Scorer of the European Championship: 2008
  • * All-Star Centre back of the Olympic Games: 2012, 2016
  • * All-Star Centre back of the World Championship: 2009, 2015
  • * All-Star Centre back of the European Championship: 2010
  • * All-Star Left back of the World Championship: 2007
  • * All-Star Left back of the European Championship: 2004
  • * Best player of Tournoi de France: 2007, 2011
  • With clubs:
  • * champions league
  • ** Best striker: 2007
  • ** All-stars team: 2014
  • * France
  • ** Best player of French league: 2010, 2013, 2017
  • ** Best left back of French league: 2004, 2005
  • ** Best center back of French league: 2010, 2016, 2017
  • ** Best player of French supercup: 2010
  • * Germany
  • ** Best player of the year in Germany: 2007, 2008
  • ** Best player of the season in German league: 2006–07, 2007–08
  • ** Best left back in German league: 2006, 2007, 2008
  • ** Best player of German All-stars game: 2007
  • * Spain
  • ** Best player of Spanish league: 2014, 2015
  • Others
  • * Sportsman on France: 2011
  • EHF Hall of Fame in 2024.