Nikola Karabatic

About Nikola Karabatic

Playing as a left back or center back, Nikola Karabatic is one of the best handball players in the world. Crowned in 2007, third in 2009, and second in 2010, he is once again in the running for the title of Best Player in the World in 2011 and has already won the MVP title at the 2011 World Championships.

He started playing handball at the age of 6, first at Strasbourg Robertsau Handball; then at Thau Handball Frontignan. 10 years later, he moved to Montpellier where he joined the training center. Nikola Karabatic played his first match in the National League in 2001, at just 17 years old. Decisive from the start, he scored two goals and won his first title at the end of the season by winning the French Cup.

The rest of his club career is a long succession of titles and trophies. Successively a player at Montpellier, Kiel, and then back to Montpellier, he has won, at the club level, two Champions Leagues (2003 and 2007), six French Championship titles (2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2010, and 2011), and four German Championship titles (2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009); in other words, he has been crowned champion every year since 2002.

Nikola Karabatic has also won five French Cups, five League Cups, and two Champions Trophies with Montpellier; and three German Cups and two German Supercups with Kiel.

His importance within these two clubs has been reflected in numerous personal distinctions: Best Left Back of the French Championship (2004, 2005); Best Left Back and second Best Player of the Bundesliga in 2006; Best Player of the Bundesliga in 2007 and 2008; and finally Best Player and Best Center Back of the LNH in 2010.

He is naturally one of the key players in the achievements of the French National Handball Team, with which he has won everything:

Olympic Gold Medal in 2008

World Champion in 2009 and 2011, bronze medal in 2003 and 2005, and semi-finalist in 2007

European Champion in 2006 and 2010, bronze medal in 2008