Nikola Karabatić facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Nikola Karabatić |
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 11 April 1984 Niš, SR Serbia, Yugoslavia |
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| Nationality | French | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Centre back | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior clubs | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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2000–2005
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Montpellier Handball | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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2005–2009
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THW Kiel | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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2009–2013
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Montpellier Handball | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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2013
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Pays d'Aix | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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2013–2015
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FC Barcelona | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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2015–2024
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Paris Saint-Germain | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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2002–2024
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France | 356 | (1293) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Nikola Karabatić (born 11 April 1984) is a French former professional handball player. Many people consider him one of the greatest handball players ever.
He played for the French national handball team for many years. With them, he won three Olympic gold medals in 2008, 2012, and 2020. He also won four World Championship gold medals (2009, 2011, 2015, and 2017). On top of that, he earned four gold medals in the European Championship (2006, 2010, 2014, and 2024).
Nikola Karabatić was named the IHF World Player of the Year three times. This is a record for a male player. He received this award in 2007, 2014, and 2016.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Nikola Karabatić started his professional handball journey in France. He joined the top French club Montpellier HB. There, he quickly became a champion.
Early Success at Montpellier
He helped Montpellier win the French championship several times. These wins were in 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005. He also won the EHF Champions League with them in 2003. This is a very important European club competition.
Playing in Germany
After his time in France, he moved to Germany. He played for the German club THW Kiel. With Kiel, he continued his winning streak. They became German champions in 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009. He also won the EHF Champions League again with Kiel in 2007.
Return to France and Beyond
In 2009, Nikola returned to Montpellier HB. He helped them win three more French championship titles. These were in 2010, 2011, and 2012. After a short time at Pays d'Aix Université Club handball, he moved to FC Barcelona in Spain. In 2015, he joined PSG Handball, where he played until 2024.
International Achievements
Nikola Karabatić has an amazing collection of medals. He is an Olympic, World, and European champion. He has won eleven major titles and a total of 17 medals. This is a record for a handball player.
European and World Championships
He first became a European champion in 2006. He also won bronze medals at the European Championships in 2008 and 2018. At the World Championships, he earned bronze medals in 2005 and 2019. He was also chosen for the All-Star Team at the 2007 World Championship. He was also part of the All Star Team at the 2004 European Championship.
Personal Life and Family
Nikola Karabatić was born in Niš, which was part of Yugoslavia at the time. His father, Branko Karabatić, was from Croatia and was also a professional handball player. His mother, Radmila, is from Serbia.
Nikola's father played for a handball team in Niš. That is where he met Nikola's mother. When Nikola was about three and a half years old, his family moved to France. This was because his father got a coaching job there. Nikola has a younger brother named Luka. Luka is also a professional handball player.
Besides French, Nikola can speak English, German, and Spanish.
Major Tournament Performance
Nikola Karabatić has played in many important tournaments. He has shown great skill and consistency throughout his career. His performance in these tournaments helped his teams win many medals.
He often scored many goals and helped his teammates score too. He was known for his strong shots and clever passes. He also played a key role in defense, stealing the ball and blocking shots. His ability to perform well in big games made him a true leader.
Achievements and Awards
Nikola Karabatić has won many awards and championships. These show how successful he has been in handball.
Club Achievements
- EHF Champions League:
- Winner: 2003, 2007, 2015
- Runners-up: 2008, 2009, 2017
- IHF Super Globe: 2013, 2014
- European Super Cup: 2007
- French league: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
- French cup: 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2010, 2012, 2018, 2021, 2022
- French league cup: 2004, 2005, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2017, 2018
- French supercup: 2010, 2011, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2023
- German league: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009
- German cup: 2007, 2008, 2009
- German supercup: 2005, 2007, 2008
- Spanish league: 2014, 2015
- Spanish cup: 2014, 2015
- Spanish supercup: 2013, 2014
- Asobal cup: 2013, 2014
- Catalonia Supercup: 2013, 2014
- Pyrenees league: 2004
International Team Achievements
- Olympics
- Gold: 2008 (Beijing), 2012 (London), 2020 (Tokyo)
- Silver: 2016 (Rio de Janeiro)
- World Championship
- Gold: 2009 (Croatia), 2011 (Sweden), 2015 (Qatar), 2017 (France)
- Silver: 2023 (Poland/Sweden)
- Bronze: 2005 (Tunisia), 2019 (Germany/Denmark)
- European Championship
- Gold: 2006 (Switzerland), 2010 (Austria), 2014 (Denmark), 2024 (Germany)
- Bronze: 2008 (Norway), 2018 (Croatia)
- World Cup 2002
- Tournoi de France: 2007, 2011
Individual Awards
- IHF World Player of the Year – Men
- Winner: 2007, 2014, 2016
- With French national team:
- Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the World Championship: 2011, 2017
- Most Valuable Player (MVP) 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 All-stars team: 2014
- Best player of French league: 2010, 2013, 2017
- Best player of the year in Germany: 2007, 2008
- Best player of Spanish league: 2014, 2015
- Others
- Sportsman of France: 2011
See also
In Spanish: Nikola Karabatić para niños
- List of handballers with 1000 or more international goals
