MVP Cikusa i Jelicic: “I will get a tattoo for this, if my father lets me“

Cikusa i Jelicic’s family legacy grows larger and reaps more and more trophies. Two years ago, at the M18 EHF EURO 2022, Petar's twin brother Djordje was part of the All-star Team as a right back, as Spain won the title in Podgorica. Petar was on that team too.

Last year, the brothers helped bring home another gold, from the Men's IHF Youth World Championship in Croatia. This year, Spain added yet another jewel to the crown by taking the M20 EHF EURO 2024 in Slovenia. This time they were without Djordje, but Petar made sure it would be a tournament to remember for the family once again. If they continue like this, they might soon run out of space in their family home to store all the medals and trophies.

Spain were simply brilliant in the final and therefore got their revenge for losing to Portugal earlier in the main round, on that same court in Zlatorog Arena in Celje.

“Everybody thought we were going to get eliminated after that loss, but we still made it to the final and went out on the court as kings. We proved we were the best. Our goalkeeper was excellent, and so was the rest of the team, both in defence and attack,“ Cikusa i Jelicic added while brimming with joy.

Despite his brother's absence, Petar still felt his family's presence in Celje throughout the fortnight.

“My father was here with me. My mom unfortunately could not make it to the final, but I will call her right now. My sister too!“ exclaimed Cikusa i Jelicic.

Much like the rest of his teammates, Petar saved his best for last – literally. He managed to step it up at just the right time, in the final 15 minutes of the semi-final against Denmark – after they had been trailing for the entire match – and then throughout the final against Portugal. He scored 11 goals across these two matches and reached a total of 43 in the tournament.

By setting the pace of his team's plays and taking responsibility when it mattered, Cikusa i Jelicic earned this precious MVP milestone.

“The award means a lot to me, obviously,“ commented Barça’s back court prodigy. “This is all because of my family and my teammates. If it were not for them, I would not be here.“

Born in Girona, but with Balkan roots coming from his parents, the 18-year-old Petar Cikusa i Jelicic has already started making a name for himself in Barça’s first team as well. Not only did he get the chance to experience playing in the Machineseeker EHF Champions League last season, but he played his part in winning it as well!

Moreover, he won the domestic championship, Copa del Rey, and now the M20 EHF EURO 2024. A perfect season that could not have gone any better.

For the upcoming campaign, his goals are pretty clear and the young star is down-to-earth about them.

“Expectations are the same. I have to keep practising and improving.“ Now, how will Petar Cikusa i Jelicic mark this incredible achievement? With a tattoo, perhaps? “Maybe. If my father lets me, then I will!“ said Petar with a huge smile on his face.

Somehow, we are sure father Zoran will understand and approve of his son's wishes. A three-peat with the national team is for sure worth it.

As for the top scorer award at the M20 EHF EURO 2024 in Slovenia, it went almost to the very top of the continent, the Faroe Islands. Óli Mittún proved once again that he is a goal-scoring machine, netting as many as 76 goals across the eight matches played. Norway's Patrick Anderson came agonizingly close (70), having scored 11 on the final day against Iceland in the seventh-place match.

“It is a nice feeling to win this award, for sure, but I could not have done it without my teammates. The team comes first. I would gladly trade this award for a better placement of our team,“ Mittún told the EHF, referring to the 18th place in which Faroe Islands ended the tournament.

The 19-year-old back court menace from IK Sävehof is used to winning individual awards. He was the MVP and top scorer of the M18 EHF EURO 2022, as well as the leading scorer of last year's Men's IHF Youth World Championship. However, he does not care so much for those accolades. Instead, he would prefer it if his team was good enough to fight for the top spots, if possible.

“We can do better. We have not qualified for the World Championship in this age category, but hopefully we can do it someday with our senior national team.“

Known for his tremendous goal-scoring abilities, and considering he is still so young, Mittún is attracting a lot of attention from the biggest clubs in Europe. For the upcoming season, though, he will stay at IK Sävehof. The season after? Who knows. Everything is still open, says Mittún, but presumably he will take a step in another direction.

“There is a lot of interest from other clubs, but I am staying here for at least one more year. After that, we will see,“ concluded Mittún.

Photos © Jan Gregorc / Rokometna zveza Slovenije, Slavko Kolar / Rokometna zveza Slovenije