A moment with ... Victor Tomas

VT8: the moniker of Victor Tomas, the captain of Barcelona and an interviewer’s dream. He is honest to a fault, witty, warm and romantic. He is the epitome of FCB and if we had an hour with him, I doubt we would have even scratched the surface of a guy who not only understands his sport, but is putting himself on the frontline to give it greater exposure. Tweeter, blogger or interviewee, Victor reveals his personal dreams, goals and life in a dramatic interview.

“Sushi Night”

A back injury led victor to cut down on red meat and introduce Sushi to his diet. Killing two birds with one stone is a favourite of his. He gets to spend time with his girlfriend of 9 years and eat healthy at the same time. “Stop the Press”! Did I say girlfriend? He admits to us that that has just become fiancée and gives us a blow by blow account of how he proposed. Boys, sit up and take notice, Girls, I’m sorry he’s taken.

“I love handball and I want to give something back”

He trains the line players and wingers every Monday for his fiancées team so that he can see her and because he wants to contribute somehow to a sport that has made him the man he is.

“If I don’t go Mondays I don’t see her”

His future wife plays at that top level in Spain. He admits that with both their busy schedules, including all the travelling, that Monday with the team is vital. Not bad for a guy that started out as the 4th wheel in a double date.

“If I forget something, I don’t feel focused”

Victor is not only superstitious; he also suffers from a mild form of OCD. I’m joking of course but this guy is meticulous in his preparation. The proposal alone took a month of planning, but if you want a good laugh and an inside knowledge of the lengths a top professional will go to, to be prepared for a game, give this a listen.

From listening to the same song for five years to putting on his socks in the same order each time, Victor pokes fun at himself and has you laughing all the way through his pre-match ritual. He actually admits he’s not “fully there” if he doesn’t do everything the same way and when you hear the list, you will wonder how he actually remembers it all.

“I don’t point the finger at others; it’s healthy to say if I play badly”

We all know him as a big Twitter fan and he does it to be closer to the fans and to push the idea that there can be “sports stars” in handball. You never get the feeling that this is egotistical; he does it for handball as a whole. He wants a time when players and media are inextricably linked. He wants people talking about handball as they do other major sports in the world. His honest appraisal of his own game and apologies to fans has endeared him to tens of thousands of followers.

“Unbelievable”

As a kid, he says, you never believe you will ever achieve such things. He’s talking about the World Championship with Spain. He is a proud Catalan, speaking the language as his mother tongue, but playing for Spain is also a great honour. “It works perfectly,” he says when asked about all the different players coming together for the national team.

You feel his pain about the state of handball in Spain. He begs the question: “We are winners (talking of WC gold) so what now?" He accepts the Asobal league is not in the healthy state of say 10 years ago, but that the Champions League is bringing great press. Especially for a game against PSG.

The captain’s armband hasn’t changed the way he plays at Barcelona. It doesn’t add to the pressure, it is just something that guarantees he will give 100% for as long as he can for the club that nurtured him from the junior setup to become its captain.

“Sports needs fans”

He loves the fans. He loves big arenas. Full arenas help everyone to play better. Even though the Palau Blaugrana is not always full on match days in the Asobal, he loves it there. It is his spiritual home. He wants to stay at the best club in the world for as long as they want him. He states that “No place could be better”.

VT8 is an ambassador for our great sport. He breathes it, lives it and loves it. His relationship to all the strands that feed the game, from players, fans and media is symbiotic. His interview is a must listen for all handball fans.

Listen to the entire interview with Victor here.