Zaadi's Game: "My head is a boiling pot during a game"

Young players, in any sport, always look up to older ones; they sometimes will even be their idols. But French centre back Grace Zaadi Deuna is a little bit different: “I did not have any when I was a kid, but 10 years ago, I was heavily inspired by Nycke Groot. She did everything on the court, she could defend, attack, score, pass to the line player. And that was exactly what I wanted to be, a player who can do everything on the court.”

Now with Krim OTP Group Mercator, Zaadi has always admitted to be quite a thinker on the court and it is no wonder, then, that “brain” is one of the words she uses to describe herself as a player. “I like to have everything under control, so I tend to analyse everything around me,” she explains. “Who has the hottest hand in my team? Which player should I target in the other team? What system could or could not work? My head is a boiling pot during a big game.”

But while some players might get burnt out from overthinking, not being able to be decisive in the key moments of a game, Zaadi is definitely a different brand. “It’s part of my instinct, so I don’t pay attention to the fact that I am thinking anymore. This is just how my brain works.”

So, this is how she knows how to open up the space for the line player, where to attack in a free space, or how to defend against an opponent. “I have done that so many times that these details are quite instinctive to me. When I was a young player, these things were really important to my coaches, and they became really important to me as well,” she remembers.

One of the most reliable players France has ever produced

Over the years, she has polished her art to become one of the most reliable players that France has ever produced. “I think I play more spot-on as years go by. I did not change the way I play, but I think that all the details, the right runs and the right timings, have been polished.”

This ability to play well in the key moments of a game is something that has always been her strength. But not only can she deliver the right action at the right time, she also manages to keep her composure. “I am someone who is not stressed by nature. I guess that, for my teammates, having someone that displays serenity is also calming for them,” smiles the centre back, before adding with a laugh: “But on the contrary, we all know that if I am stressed, then the boat is about to sink!”

And this sense of calm is really helpful for Zaadi's teams in the dying moments of the games. Come the last five minutes of a tight game, it is like all the preparatory work has been done already. “I have been on the court, I know what works and what does not. It’s like I have studied the file already and I know what to use in terms of tactics. Over the years, I have had more responsibilities and I like these moments. I don’t stress when this is a do-or-die moment.”

Of course, experience has helped the former Metz Handball player to become better at what she does. Playing in France, in Russia, in Romania and now in Slovenia has helped her polish her art, but she still remains true to her game. “I took what I could from every handball school I met. Like, when I was in Russia, many of the players had these fake shots, or shots without jumping, which are things they do really well but that you don’t really see anywhere else,” she remembers, while she played for Rostov from 2020 to 2022. “This has made me an even better handball player, playing for foreign clubs is definitely enriching.”

Learning all season long from her teammates

She even took it to her advantage sometimes, especially in international competitions. She would use some of the things that she would learn all season long when facing her club teammates. “Training with players like Anna Vyakhireva made me think about how I could try to stop her when I was playing against her,” she admits. “This kind of players, like Anna or Henny Reistad, forced me — and still forces me today — to think a little bit more on how to stop them. There are ways to do it, but you have to put a lot of thought into it.”

Ask Zaadi if she sees any difference between the way she played 10 years ago and and the way she plays now, and you will face a burst of laughter. “I definitely shot harder and ran faster back then! I did not ask myself that many questions, either,” she smiles, before explaining how the years have changed the way she plays. “I guess it’s all about balance. Before, I would sometimes try to throw the ball as hard as possible, while now, I will play with the goalkeeper and the defenders blocking. I don’t run as fast, but I am better at changing rhythm, for example.”

"I don't want to be a half player"

One thing that has not changed, though, is how Zaadi likes both to defend and to attack. This appetite for playing on both sides of the court is rooted in the 32-year-old’s youth. “I come from an era when you had to defend well before hoping to have the opportunity to attack. Playing on both sides of the court is part of my handball education,” she says, describing defence as her “fuel”: “I want to be a complete player and be able to do everything around. I don’t want to be a half player, someone who is only here for the spotlight and scoring.”

Her favourite part of the game is actually... passing. “There is nothing better than an assist. Whether it’s a 30-metre one after recovering the ball in defence for the winger who is running, or opening up the space for your line player by running in the perfect timing and giving the assist. Nothing quite beats that.”

main image Jure Erzen / kolektiff; in-text photos © kolektiff