Guillaume Gilles had confidence in Dika Mem and hesitated to shift Nedimo Remili to the right back position, believing that Mem, the star from Barcelona, would deliver. He proved crucial when it mattered most—scoring two goals during the second five-minute overtime, leading France to a 33:31 victory over Denmark in the European Championship final.

Eloim Prandi sealed the deal, scoring 33 seconds before the end for an unassailable 32:30, making the “experts” champions of Europe after a decade of anticipation.

The French began strongly, leading 6:4, but the three-time reigning world champions flipped it to 9:6, thanks to the outstanding Emil Nielsen in goal.

Nikola Karatabatic and his teammates took a brief lead at 11:10, the last time until the 55th minute when Kentan Mae converted a seven-meter throw for a 25:24 advantage.

Nikolaj Jakobsen then called a timeout and opted to play with seven outfield players, a strategy that Mikel Hansen exploited to regain the lead for his team with two goals.

Mae and Ludovic Fabregas tied the match twice, and when time expired, Hansen couldn’t break through the formidable French defense, missing a free throw that would have brought the trophy to Denmark.

This resulted in two five-minute overtime periods. The Nordic team took the lead twice, but Remili and Fabregas swiftly equalized, while Mem capped a 3:0 series, giving France a 31:29 lead with his two goals.

Hansen nodded hope back into his team with a penalty, but Prandi, who made headlines in the semifinals with a remarkable but unorthodox goal against Sweden, sliced through the defense and solved all uncertainties with just over 30 seconds left.

This victory marked France’s first European Championship title in ten years.

Fabregas scored eight goals, Remili five, and Mem contributed two, even after missing his first five attempts.

For Denmark, Hansen led with nine goals (7 out of 7 penalties), followed by Matias Gidsel with eight. The standout performer in goal was Nielsen, with 15 saves.

Niklas Landin-Jakobsen made three saves, while Samir Belasen managed only nine.

Sweden clinched bronze and a spot at the Olympic Games, defeating Germany 34:31.

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