The quiet one

There are many kinds of heroes, especially when it comes to sport. You have the handsome one, just because he is, well, good-looking. You have the efficient one, that one player that scores from everything and everywhere. You have the saviour, that one person that always excels when it is most needed.

This list could go on forever, and a closer look at Paris Saint-Germain Handball reveals that they have players of all kinds in their ranks, but they also have one of the most precious and rarest kind. Let us call him ‘the quiet one’.

And while Nikola Karabatic, Mikkel Hansen and Thierry Omeyer receive most of the attention, Luc Abalo certainly is the ‘quiet one’. Hidden in the shadow of this star-studded team, his appearance can be compared to the snake that snatches out to bite, only to get back into the shade as quickly as possible.

Returning home to Paris

The 31-year-old right wing has everything to make him feel at home since he joined in 2012. Born in the town of Ivry sur Seine, he grew up on the borders of Paris, before he joined Ciudad Real in 2008. Attracted by Paris‘ project, he moved back to his native country and this season helped PSG to qualify for their first VELUX EHF FINAL4. Once more he was not really in the spotlight, he was just his usual self.

“Luc is a very good player. One you know you can rely on in good and bad times,” says Abalo‘s teammate Nikola Karabatic. And on the wings, where the number of times you have the ball within a game might be limited, you would better be someone your teammates can rely on. And if they can count on Abalo to score, he himself can count on his physical abilities to do so.

His arm is as flexible as a rubberband and when he jumps he seems to remain in the air for an eternity, enabling him to create shots no one has even thought …

continue reading in source www.eurohandball.com