The Experts, his transfer to Japan... Raphaël handball player Igor Anic hangs up his boots at 38 years old

The son of a coach, Igor Anic's destiny was already mapped out: "I grew up and lived my whole life in a handball hall. My dream was to be like my dad (Zeljko Anic) . When I had to choose a second language, I chose German because I wanted to play in Germany one day." The French international of Yugoslavian origin (39 caps) decided to hang up his hat this summer, at the age of 38.

You decided to end your career after a trying season in Nationale 1 Elite with Draguignan ( ^5th ). A great last challenge!

Nikola Vojinović (the coach) wanted me in his project. I took the plunge to try and grow the club and bring my experience. We had a great season, even if it took us a little while to get going. The top 3 is decided by goal average. If the club had had the financial means to move up, we would have had extra motivation. I might even have continued. With Abdelkader Rahim (his teammate) , we said that it might be the year or never. I hope I'm wrong.

You turned professional in 2007 in Kiel, Germany, while you were training in Montpellier...

I signed after their Champions League victory. It was the golden age with Nikola Karabatic, Thierry Omeyer, Stefan Lövgren, Kim Andersson… Bhakti Ong (Nikola Karabatic's agent) contacted me and offered me a one-week trial before their final. I arrived at 20 years old, even though I wasn't the first choice. It just happened.

You're one of the few French players to have played in the Japanese league. How did you get transferred there in 2021?

I always wanted to play in an exotic country at the end of my career. I was thinking about the Gulf. In Cesson, in the middle of Covid, the season was stopped. By being first, we are champions. The discussions didn't go as planned. I found myself without a club. I received an email in English from a video analyst asking me if I was interested in coming to play in Japan. I thought it was a joke. I talked about it to people around me, to my wife. The club (Daido Steel Phenix, in Nagoya) accepted all my conditions. It's the best contract of my entire career.

What memories do you have of it?

We don't regret it. There were difficult times because Japan had closed its borders. There were few foreigners. We did three-and-a-half-hour training sessions... I found myself, a tall, bald, tattooed man, in a very traditional country, culturally the opposite of what we know here.

In the end, it wasn't your last contract...

I came back at the end of the season, at the end of March. They hadn't yet aligned their schedule with ours. When I arrived, I tried to get a foot in the door. If I hadn't had anything, I might have quit at 36. Then I left to join my brother in Luxembourg. I spent a few months with the Red Boys Differdange ( ^1st division). But Luxembourg wasn't right for my family, so we returned to Saint-Raphaël.

What does life after handball look like?

Physically, it was getting complicated. Plus, I work as an apprentice carpenter. My boss took a bet on me because I didn't go to school. I'm a hands-on and creative person. I've always drawn caricatures of my teammates and built furniture. As for handball, maybe I'll coach young people one day. My children have it in their blood. I try to pass on the work culture to them. I don't stop them from dreaming.

You were part of the Experts (the nickname given to the French team in the 2010s)...

From a sporting perspective, it's a real accomplishment. My wife was talking about it the other day with my children. She explained to them that I was one of the top twenty French players out of thousands of licensed players. I'm honored, proud... I was extremely lucky to experience this from the inside.

You were European champion in 2014 and world champion in 2015. What is the best title?

The Euro. Beating Denmark at their home ground. They were at the top level, just like us. We felt like they were starting to push. We played at their home ground in front of 15,000 people. There were only 500 French people. We managed to shut them out. At the end of the match, we could only hear ourselves. When you win in a host country, it has a special flavor. In Qatar (in 2015) , it was different because it's not a handball country.

What role did you play in the team?

Cédric Sorhaindo was number 1. Luka Karabatic was there initially for the defense. Didier Dinart (assistant coach and former pivot) came to see me during the preparation for the Euro and told me to give my all in attack. That motivated me. He must have had the same speech with Benjamin Afgour (the fourth pivot) . When I came on during the first match of the preparation, after the first attack, I immediately came out on the defensive phase. He said to me: "Where are you going?" I had to come back on defense. For me, I was only going to play in attack. During the semi-final against Spain, I only played in defense.

Do you have any regrets about not being able to stay longer with the Blues?

Ludovic Fabregas (now captain of Les Bleus) was starting to push forward in Qatar. Didier came to see me and told me that they were counting on him for the future and that they no longer needed four pivots. It hurt to hear that, but I'm grateful for his honesty.

What is your assessment?

I prefer to look at the glass half full. I was lucky enough to be selected for two championships and win them. I take all the positives... and the negatives. I've had a rich career.