What future ?

He has just 25 years old and he already has won everything you can look for with his club (4 times champion both in France and Germany, 2 champion's league) and with the French national team (European Championship, World Championship and Olypic Games)! Si it seems logical to wonder about the next years of his career. How can he still be motivated?
But he looks now more involded than ever in Monptellier. His return has been motivated by a strong incentive of being invested in the club and his development at long term. The aim is also to make Montpellier as competitive as the biggest clubs in Europe (BCN, Kiel...). Moreover, with N.Karabatic, the club appears more attractive for "stars players".
In definitive it does not make any doubts that we will heard a lot about this amazing player simplybecause he stays now regarded as the best French player ever and probably more...

A natural leadership

Further his physical and technical exceptional abilities, what is surprising with this player is his mental and the lucidity he shows. His way to act makes him naturally seen as a leader in every team he plays for. The main example is when during the final of the world championship against Croatia when he got provoked by his biggest rival, Ivano Balic. He succeed to keep calm allowing the French national team to win the final cup few minutes later. For us, it is not a surprise at all to seem getting the role of captain directly after he returned to play in Montpellier.

The marketing machine

When he played in Kiel people were used to call him "the machine". That nickname was related to his physical and technical abilities which make him as important in his ex team. Furthermore, N.Karabatic is also a marketing machine. He represents the perfect image for the handball of tomorrow and that is why so many sponsors want to stand next to him. He has taken over of what Jackson Richardson represented in the 90's for French people even if he does not symbolized the same kind of player. Anyway, he is a real marketing product that makes huge sells. Adidas (his main partner) has made a special line of sportswear called "NK 22". It is not rare to seem him in advertising or in promotionnal videos (like he did for the french team ). Because everywhere he plays, people are attracted by is way to move, to defend and his amazing mental impact on the match, he represents now a "show window" for the international high level of handball. Despite all these commercial and image issues, he knows how to deal with mainly through his strong relationship with his family. And this is why when Barca was about to pay a huge amount of money to recruit him he preferred get back to Montpellier and play closer surrounded by his family.

Besides the player, a man of principles

After four years playing in Kiel in Germany, Nikola decided to come back at home and get transferred to the Montpellier handball's team. This return show the real human aspect of the man who wanted to be closer to his family ( his brother is currently a player of the same team while his father is the goalkeeper's coach). Despite of the money he could still earn in Kiel (one of the biggest club in Europe), Nikola made the choice of the heart. Before leaving to Germany he promised to his fans in Montpellier that he would get back one day... so we can say he is a man of his word!
In our opinion another main reason of this return is that he has a real leadership in the team by being the captain. Furthermore his aim is to allow the club to get back to his status of one the best european club as it was 5 years ago. After having won everything with another club it looked easy for him to stay and win trophies again but he decided to face a new challenge with the club that formed him, which is a real evidence, a proof of maturity only at 25 years old!

Nikola Karabatic : an athlete out of proportion

Born from Croatian father and a Serbian mother (two countries where handball is really popular), Nikola Karabatic benefits from his physical skills which are impressive :
1,96 m and 105 kg. Because of that he has a special impact during the matches and is reguarded as tough player to defend against.
If you add to this, a huge powerful in each arm, an amazing jumping ability and an awesome accuracy, you will get a perfect weapon for your team which can scores almost whenever and wherever he want to !

Something that makes the difference from the others players is his capability of managing the mental aspect of the game. He knows how to play according of the situation and is especially efficient during the "money time".

All these exceptional features allow Nikola Karabatic to get to this high level of playing and show how far he is an athlete out of proportion !