The key, he says, is to “make the most of what has happened before in the game, take some advantage out of it”.
He will not say it, but probably that being on the circuit for 20-plus years and having the experience to match might instil some doubts into his opponents’ heads. But on the other hand, Andreas Palicka knows one thing his experience has given him: “I have played against so many players so many times, when you have done that, a certain knowledge sticks in you and can be useful, especially in deciding moments.”
Palicka’s technique to handle a nervy end of a game seems pretty simple on paper but, in reality, is really hard to actually do.
“It’s all about pushing all the emotions, all the negative things aside. Some people might think about what happen if they miss, but I don’t,” he decrypts. “A lot of things in these moments are played on the mental side, so I try to push all of my thoughts out of my brain for a while.”
And sometimes, it works. One of the highlights in recent EHF EURO history dates back to 2022, when Palicka made the decisive save in the semi-final in front of Ludovic Fabregas, in the dying seconds of overtime. With that save, Palicka helped Sweden progress to the final, which they would win a couple of days later.
“That one was a true example of what I explained before. I had to forget about the 20,000 people in the arena, about everything that had happened on the court in the seconds before. I was so focused that right after the save, I did not celebrate that much,” he remembers. But then, the adrenalin kicked in and... unbelievable happiness! Because you have reached the goal that you have set for the team and for yourself. These kind of moments is what we all play handball for.”
