THANK YOU, MASTER: Nikola Prce says goodbye to the BiH handball team at the European Championship

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - Nikola Prce is saying goodbye to the BiH jersey. 

This great handball player confirmed it in a statement to Dnevni list, saying that he "gave a lot to the national team, but also received a lot".

"Many qualifications have passed, this is the third time going to a major competition, and I think it's time for my retirement. 

Prce is one of the best Bosnian-Herzegovinian handball players of all time. He was born on August 31, 1980, and will say goodbye to the national team jersey at the European Championship in Hungary and Slovakia in January next year.

He debuted for the BiH A team at the age of 25 in January 2006 under coach Vojislav Rađa in a match against the Netherlands, so in January he will mark exactly 16 years of playing for BiH. We will especially remember his 18 goals in the two-match series against Iceland for qualification to the World Championship in Qatar in 2015, 10 goals against the Czech Republic in a crucial match for qualification to the European Championship in Norway in 2020, as well as a series of qualifications in which he was the top scorer and best player of the team.

“It's time for me to retire, perhaps the situation is perfect because the European Championship is ahead of us. I will always be available to help the national team, but I think we now have young players who deserve their chance. We have nothing more to wait for in that regard, not just in my position, but several others. Not many players have joined the team in recent years, but not many have shown their potential either. We don't have the luxury of doing it haphazardly and changing ten players, nor does anyone in the world do that, but it can be done systematically and gradually. A player must have some foundation before being brought into the national team,” Prce told Dnevni list.

“I think I gave a lot to the national team, but I also received a lot. Many qualifications have passed, this is the third time going to a major competition, and I think it's time for my retirement,” Prce emphasizes.

When asked what would make his farewell perfect, he replies: "Any victory at the European Championship would be a great achievement, and the most realistic opponent for that would be the Czech Republic. We shouldn't dream of advancing further because I think it's very difficult. One victory would mean a lot for future qualifications and draws."

Nikola Prce has been a member of the Kosovo team Besa Famgas for the third season, for which he scored 11 goals against Bulgarian Torda in the EHF European Cup a few days ago, showing that age is still no match for him.

“Things opened up for me, I played well. The roster is shortened, and you have to push a little harder than expected, especially in both directions, which is harder for someone my age. I'm "wrestling" with it somehow, and thank God my health is serving me well,” says Prce.

He points out that European matches are an indicator of his form.

“I can't say I play at 100 percent in the league because those are teams we are much better than, and we don't push ourselves to the maximum. So, the four European matches are some indicators, and I am satisfied with that. I knew we were "on par" with Borac, but I didn't think we would match Turda, which will play an important role in the EHF European Cup,” concluded Nikola Prce.

(Dnevni list)