One month ago, Leo Prantner was supposed to get back on the court, play some matches for his club team, HBW Balingen-Weilstetten, and prepare for the 2025 IHF Men’s World Championship, where he was supposed to get back on track, after a devastating knee injury. However, the plan did not work and the hopes were up in the air.

Prantner was not ready to play after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in March 2024, one of the toughest injuries which a handball player can suffer. The right wing did not give up, worked harder and harder and eventually made the cut for Italy’s final roster.

“I was supposed to get back on the court in December, but my body was not ready. I did not even know if I were to play at the World Championship and it was a difficult moment. Luckily, I got back on track and this match against Tunisia, the first match of the competition, was my first after almost 10 months,” said Prantner.

For a player not featuring on the court in an official match, his performance in Italy’s return after 28 years at the IHF Men’s World Championship was not too shabby. In fact, it was pretty much flawless in the first half, when Prantner scored nine goals out of nine shots, being virtually impossible to stop by the African side.

He was responsible for fast breaks, difficult positional shots, converted penalties and basically everything Italy did, scoring half of his team’s goals in a fantastic first half, which enabled Italy to dream even higher.

“I had a good feeling on the court and seeing the result, it is just amazing. The feeling is absolutely fantastic, we had some pressure going on into the match, because, you know, it was the first major international competition for all of us, no matter how young or experienced we are. And that mattered, but we tried to be as calm as possible,” adds Italy’s right wing.

Still, the start was somewhat shaky, with Tunisia, at their 16th consecutive appearance in the world handball flagship competition, exploiting Italy’s aggressive 5-1 defence. But when that defence started playing better, it provided both a chance to breathe and Prantner with countless fast break opportunities.

In the end, Italy’s right wing finished the match with 10 goals and he is the competition joint top scorer, alongside Denmark’s right back Mathias Gidsel, who also scored 10 goals in the reigning champions’ rout of Algeria, 47:22. He was also named the hummel Player of the Match, despite scoring a single goal in the second half and missing two penalties.

The 32:25 win was also Italy’s largest in history at the IHF Men’s World Championship, and a perfect start after a 28-year hiatus, as the European side last played in the competition in 1997.

“We set off to do something great and I think we are really managing ourselves very well. This first match will mean nothing at all if we do not play better and better. Next up is a match against Algeria and if we win, we are in the main round, which would be something fantastic for us and for Italian handball,” says Prantner.

“Qualifying here was the first step, now we want to show that we belong here and it would be something fantastic if we progressed to the next phase. It would be a boost for Italian handball and for the people are home who are watching and learning about the sport.”

Italy had only previously qualified for the world handball flagship competition in 1997, when they finished on the 18th place and never came close of securing their tickets, but their uptick in form and their development saw the surprise take place, as Italy needed to navigate through six matches to secure their tickets.

First, Italy beat Türkiye in the Qualification Europe Phase 1, with a stunning comeback, after a 28:37 loss in the first leg. Italy bounced back and set up a clash against Belgium in the Qualification Europe Phase 2 – Part 1, with a 37:27 win, taking a 65:64 aggregate win.

Then, Italy secured two wins against Belgium, for a 62:56 aggregate win, setting up a clash against Montenegro in the Qualification Europe Phase 2 – Part 2. Once again, Italy emerged victorious, with a 66:58 aggregate win, returning to the world handball flagship competition for the first time in 28 years.

Still 23 years old, Prantner was born in Merano, in South Tyrol. He started handball in his local club, then spent one year in the academy of German side SG Flensburg Handewitt, before moving back to Italy. Since then, he has played in Spain, for Rebi Balonmano Cuenca and since 2023, is at HBW Balingen-Weilstetten.

 

 

 

 

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Prantner hails from a handball family. His father, Jürgen Prantner, is the assistant coach of the Italy national team, being there on the bench, alongside Riccardo Trillini, for this fantastic performance. His older brother, Max, also played beach handball and featured one season for Swiss side, Pfadi Winterthur.

“Having my father here is also amazing. He is there on the bench, always ready to give a piece of advice, so just having him there, during matches, is fantastic, because it gives you that extra bit of confidence,” adds the right wing.

Next up for Italy is Algeria, another African side. A second win in as many matches would not only see Italy secure their third win in history at the IHF Men’s World Championship, but also clinch a place in the main round. A fairytale story for a team which had only one win in their previous appearance in the world handball flagship competition.