Czech legend Martin Galia waves goodbye

The ever-present force of the Czech national team will have his final word on the court as a national team player: Martin Galia will play his final match on Sunday and then continue in his role as goalkeeper coach.

Galia will enter the court on 30 April at 17:00 CEST (live on EHFTV) wearing the Czech national colours for the 219th and the last time. His initial idea was to retire at the Men’s EHF EURO 2020 in Bratislava, but an injury prevented him from doing so.

“I got injured and went there as a goalkeeping specialist. When I got back into shape after the injury and was catching up, I was looking for a suitable date to say goodbye to the national team on the court,” Galia said.

Sunday’s match against Israel takes place in Frýdek-Místek, a village only 30 kilometres away from his hometown club Karviná, where he is still playing.

“It is going to be very special. I have been able to prepare for 218 national team games; you can't prepare for the 219th and this situation,” the goalkeeper says.

“I don’t know what to expect from it. Anyway, I am definitely looking forward to Frýdek-Místek; it will be great and I hope that together with the fans we will enjoy the match to the maximum.”

Ranked second in group 3 with six points from four games, just like leaders Iceland, Czech Republic are strong favourites to qualify for the final tournament in Germany next January.

And while many Czech fans might have hoped to see Galia giving it one more go at the EHF EURO 2024, he has made up his mind and will say farewell to the national team in his home country on Sunday.

“I haven't thought about postponing it at all. I think that the national team is not for merit, but really for the best players. Another reason is that I always wanted to finish in Czech Republic, in front of my own fans. I will have all my family, all my friends and my teammates at the game. And the fans who have been with me my whole career,” said Galia, adding he is “just sad my parents can’t be at this game anymore. But I know they will be looking down on me and I am sure they would be proud of me.”

Will the experienced goalkeeper have any specific preparation for his final game?

“I will try to make sure that Sunday is just like any other game. Of course, there will be some thoughts in my head, but in the match, I want to concentrate as much as possible on giving my last good performance for the national team. And then it is goodbye,” he said.

Galia played his first game for the national team in 2000, having his debut against Iceland in a test match ahead of the 2001 IHF Men’s World Championship.

And it was a dream debut.

“The game was played in Mladá Boleslav. I still remember it, we won and I even got the best player award. I was happy that I got the chance because I was the youngest player in the national team at that time. And the national team is the biggest reward a player can get,” Galia said.

Galia’s handball path started in Banik Karviná and led him through Sweden, Germany, Switzerland, and Poland, with stops at Redbergslids, Frisch Auf Goppingen, TBV Lemgo, Göppingen again, TV Grosswallstadt, St. Gallen, and Górnik Zabrze.

In 2022, he completed the circle and returned to Karviná.

Galia’s rich career includes the award for best goalkeeper in the German Bundesliga in 2005/06 and the EHF Cup 2009/10 he won with Lemgo.

With the national team, he appeared at 11 major championships: the EHF EURO events in 2002, 2004, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2018 and 2020, and the World Championships in 2001, 2005, 2007 and 2015.

“I remember all the championships. One of the first successful ones was the EHF EURO 2004 in Slovenia, which was a great success and earned me an engagement in the Bundesliga,” Galia recalled.

“And then one of the most successful ones overall was the EHF EURO 2018 in Croatia, where we played our best game and were able to attack the highest ranks, finishing sixth.”

For a player with a national team career spanning more than two decades, it is no wonder Galia lives and breathes handball. He is not just a player in the club and national team, but also works as a goalkeeper coach. And he visits various handball camps to pass on his knowledge to the young generation.

A time-consuming job, but a job that fulfils him and will be his future after he has saved the final shot.

“It is a huge change because I can no longer influence the game myself. I have to prepare someone else to do it. I am trying to do it the way I have done it my whole life, to make sure they, too, are focused and as prepared as they can be. So that they can be that deciding factor for the team,” Galia explained.

“So, it is challenging, of course, because every player is different and I always have to find my way to them. But I love the job and I would like to do it for as long as I can.”

Being involved in a match from the bench rather than on the court is no new experience for Galia.

“I just try not to show my nervousness at all, so as not to upset the players. I stay completely calm and explain to the goalkeepers that every ball is important and that every save can help the team,” he said about his coaching role.

“It is not difficult in that sense; the difficult thing is to make the players understand what I want them to do at that speed. Pre-match preparation also plays a hugely important role.”

While his retirement obviously leaves a gap, what is Galia’s opinion on the goalkeeper’s future for the Czech national team?

“It is a huge advantage that the national team has Tomáš Mrkva. He is a complete goalkeeper, he is playing for one of the best teams in the world,” Galia said about the THW Kiel shot stopper.

“This makes it easier for me to focus on younger guys, like Šimon Mizera, or players who are yet to join the national team. Tomáš has waited quite a long time to become No. 1 in the national team and you can see in him that waiting was the right choice. He is one of the top goalkeepers in the world.”

photos © Jozo Cabraja, Jure Erzen, Uros Hocevar, Sasa Pahic Szabo, Nebojsa Tejic / kolektiff; Czech Handball Federation