France’s Jérôme Fernandez may not be a household name outside his sport, but his achievements on court put even those of his twinkle-toed compatriot Thierry Henry in the shade.
With more than 375 international caps and a goal tally for France nearing 1,500, Fernandez has been a colossus for both country and his various clubs in a career spanning almost two decades.
During spells with sides in France (Montpelier and Toulouse), Spain (Barcelona and CF Ciudad Real) and Germany (THW Kiel), Fernandez has won numerous club titles, including the Champions League (twice), the sport’s equivalent of football’s premier European club competition.
But it is on the international stage where Fernandez has made his most enduring impact winning three World (2001, 2009, 2011) and European (2006, 2010, 2014) titles and Olympic gold medals at the last two games in Beijing 2008 and London in 2012.
“The best memory in my career and for my sport was the Olympics Games in Beijing, because it was a title that changed the view of people in France about handball,” Fernandez told CNN’s Human to Hero series.
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“His big dream is to go to Rio to play and win the Olympic gold for a third time,” Pazen says. “Only Russian goalkeeper, Andrey Lavrov has won three Olympic gold medals in 1988, 1992 and 2000.”
If he does travel to Brazil — Pazen sees no reason why France would not pick him if he is fit — then he has every chance of finishing his career on a golden high.
But whatever happens in months ahead it looks like he’ll never be too far away from the court in the years to come.
“I’m thinking about becoming a coach. All that I have learned in my career I want to give to the young players so they can reach for titles with the clubs and the national team. For me it is normal to help players. Handball is my sport, my passion and I want to give back.”
