Fight for the Champions after a calvary in three acts

Sant Joan DespíWith only 22 years, Òscar Grau (Barcelona, 2004) has already established himself in a squad that aims to win all titles. After nine years training in the Barça youth academy, last summer he obtained his first-team contract. “I have been a Barça fan since I was little and for me it is a dream and a pride to wear these colors and this crest. I prefer to be here than anywhere else in the world. I am playing with players who a few years ago were my idols and I used to ask them for photos and autographs”, explains the Catalan from the Joan Gamper Sports City after finishing training. This Thursday (8:45 PM) the Blaugranas visit Nantes' court in the first leg of the EHF Champions League quarter-finals, the last round before returning to the final four in Cologne.

Son of Òscar Grau, former Barça handball player and former executive director (CEO) during Josep Maria Bartomeu's board, for him the path to the first team has not been easy. During his formative years, Grau underwent three knee operations. “I was young, and when you see these obstacles in your path, you see people moving up and you're stuck, without opportunities, due to something external to you... I consider myself a mentally strong person, but it's very difficult, and I had a bad time,” confesses the Barça player, who appreciates the support of his parents and his brother. “When I couldn't drive because I was on crutches, they helped me by taking me to rehabilitation. Without their support, I couldn't have moved forward”.

“The recovery periods were tough, because in the end it’s almost a year. You try to approach it positively, but there are moments that are difficult, that make you question whether to continue or not. But, fortunately, I’ve never doubted because I had the dream of being in the first team. I always thought I had to try, and if in the end it didn’t happen, it wouldn’t be for lack of trying”, recalls Grau, who will graduate this year in business administration and management. “It hasn’t been easy to combine sports with studies, but it’s important to get an education. They have been four difficult years in which you have to sacrifice time. When we traveled, while my teammates were playing cards, I was studying”, he points out.

Precisely, the Catalan encourages all boys and girls who want to be professionals to fight for their dreams, but without stopping studying. “Nothing is impossible. We are people who have been here, from the bottom, and with work, sacrifice, and effort, without ever giving up, we have reached this point. Let no one tell them they can’t do something”, he states.

No transition periods

Grau assures that the team is prepared for the European tie against Nantes. “We arrive with very good dynamics, but they do too. We are two teams that run and counter-attack a lot. It will be a hard-fought and complicated match, but I am confident that we can achieve a good lead in Nantes.” Carlos Ortega's team wants to complete a great season — in which they won the Super Globe (club world cup) — with the club's thirteenth Champions League title. “The victory in March by seven goals on Magdeburg's court, which eliminated us in the semi-finals last year, was very important mentally. We made a statement,” acknowledges Grau.

Despite having one of the youngest teams in Europe, at Barça there are no transition seasons. Just as in football, in handball there has also been a strong commitment to homegrown players like Ian Barrufet, Djordje Cikusa, Petar Cikusa, or Òscar Grau himself. “The step up from Barça Atlètic to the first team is significant and requires a period of adaptation, especially in the training load and intensity, but the veterans have welcomed us very well and this adaptation has been easier,” admits the pivot.

The demand to win it all

But despite having a great season —with only one defeat— Grau is aware that they are playing for everything this May and June. “We know the demands at Barça and we accept the challenge. We can have a very good year, but if we lose one game and are out of the Champions League, it seems like it hasn't been a good season.” An expectation present in Europe, but not in Spain, where the dominance of the Blaugrana is absolute. “In league games, no matter how much we are winning with a good lead, we always play as if we were tied. We don't look at the score and give our all to avoid that point of relaxation. In the games we play amongst ourselves in training, we also have this competitiveness. The team is eager to win,” explains the Catalan player.