PARIS
vs
Pays d’Aix Université Club Handball
Founded in 1955, Pays d’Aix Université Club Handball have been ever-presents in the Liqui Moly StarLigue since winning the second division title in 2012. Between 2020 and March 2023, they have been coached by former HBC Nantes head coach Thierry Anti. Brothers Luka and Nikola Karabatic have been playing for the club between February and June 2013.
PAUC Handball finished a very creditable third position in the 2021/22 Liqui Moly Starligue season, their highest ever finish, and qualified for the EHF European Cup in the process. Their biggest rivals are fellow Provence side Saint-Raphaël Var Handball.
PREVIOUS ENCOUNTERS
On November 9, 2019, Pays d'Aix was playing at Coubertin as part of matchday 8. The Parisians won at Coubertin on the score of 36-23. In the return match in Aix on February 12, 2020, on Matchday 15, Paris Saint-Germain won 38-28.
On the opponing matchday of the championship, on September 27, 2020, the Parisians had defeated Pays d'Aix 34 - 31 at Coubertin. Nikola Karabatic scored 8 goals in this game.
The Parisians travelled to Aix en Provence on 2021/22 Liqui Moly Starligue matchday 8. PSG went victorious (35-24) with 8 goals from Adama Keita. On the second leg at Coubertin, on April 2, 2022, the Red and Blue won 37 - 32, with 5 goals from Prandi.
Players to follow Duel
Born on July 23, 1991, in Plock, Poland, Kamil Syprzak is a pivot player. Playing for Wisla Plock between 2009 and 2015, he then won everything with FC Barcelona during the 4 seasons he spent in Catalonia: Club World Cup, Spanish Championship, Spanish Cup and Spanish Super Cup. He was also bronze medalist with Poland in the World Championship in 2015. On February 12, 2020, Paris Saint-Germain moved to Aix for the 15th day of the Liqui Moly Starligue. The Parisians won 38 - 28 with 6 goals from Kamil Syprzak, with 100% on shots!
A pure product of the Provençal training centre, Gabriel Loesch started handball at the age of 7 in the Bouches-du-Rhône, his native region, at the Châteauneuf-les-Martigues club. He then joined the Aix-en-Provence training centre in 2013, before signing his first contract with the professionals three years later, taking effect during the 2017/18 season. As a right-winger, he was the club's top scorer in his first season with the pros, scoring 101 goals and, above all, one of the league's highest percentages of successful shots.
The Arena du Pays d-Aix
1 955 rue Claude Ledoux - 13 290 Aix-en-Provence
Inaugurated on October 11, 2017, the Arena du Pays d'Aix is an ultra-modern hall that can accommodate between 6,000 and 8,500 spectators depending on the configuration. In addition to PAUC matches, the arena has also hosted sporting events such as the 2018 Fed Cup semi-final between France and the United States, as well as meetings of the League of Nations Volleyball team, including the French national team.
On match time, a shuttle system is set up with numerous park and ride facilities, as well as a parking area near the venue.
