{{short description|French handball player (born 1971)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}} {{expand French|topic=bio}} {{Infobox handball biography | name = Patrick Cazal | full_name = | image = Présentation équipe USDK, 10 septembre 2016 - 04.jpg | caption = | nationality = French | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1971|4|6|df=yes}} | birth_place = Saint-Joseph, Réunion, France | death_date = | death_place = | position = Right back | height = 185 cm | youthclubs1 = Château-Morange | youthclubs2 = Paris-Asnières | youthyears2 = 1989-1990 | clubs1 = Paris-Asnières | years1 = 1990-1994 | clubs2 = Montpellier Handball | years2 = 1994-1999 | clubs3 = Bidasoa Irún | years3 = 1999-2002 | clubs4 = TUSEM Essen | years4 = 2002-2005 | clubs5 = Dunkerque HGL | years5 = 2005-2008 | nationalyears1 = 1994–2004 | nationalteam1 = France | nationalcaps1 = 171 | nationalgoals1 = 482 | manageryears1 = 2011–2022 | managerclubs1 = Dunkerque HGL | manageryears2 = 2022–2024 | managerclubs2 = Tunisia | medaltemplates = {{MedalCountry|{{FRA}}}} {{MedalWorldChampionships}} {{MedalGold|1995 Iceland|Team}} {{MedalGold|2001 France|Team}} {{MedalBronze|1997 Japan|Team}} {{MedalBronze|2003 Portugal|Team}} }}
'''Patrick Cazal''' (born 1971) is a French team handball coach and former player. As a player he was part of the French team, that won the 1995 World Championship; the first time ever France won a major international tournament. He also competed at the 2000 Summer Olympics, where the French team placed 6th.<ref name=sref>{{cite web |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ca/patrick-cazal-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417201612/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ca/patrick-cazal-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=17 April 2020 |title=Patrick Cazal |publisher=Sports-reference.com |accessdate=29 January 2011 }}</ref> Since retiring from competitions in 2008 he worked as a handball coach, with Dunkerque Handball Grand Littoral (2011–2022).
==Career== Cazal started playing handball at Château-Morange on Réunion, before joining Paris-Asnières in 1989. He broke through on the first team in 1990.<ref name="champion90">{{cite web |url=https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k96915157/f12.item |title=Paris-Asnières : Chronique d'un retour annoncé |work=Hand-ball : bulletin fédéral n°262 |page=12-13 |publisher=Fédération française de handball |date=August 1990 |access-date=15 March 2022|language=fr}}</ref> He later joined Montpellier Handball where he won the 1995, 1998 and 1999 French Championship and the 1999 French Cup.<ref name=HA50>{{cite news |url=https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k9690214g/f24.item |title=Patrick Cazal |work=Hand action |edition=50 |date=July 2005 |accessdate=15 September 2024}}</ref>
He debuted for the French national team on November 2nd, 1994 against Switzerland.<ref name=HA50 />
In 1999 he joined Spanish Bidasoa Irún in the top league, Liga ASOBAL. In 2002 he joined German Bundesliga team TUSEM Essen. Here he won the 2005 EHF Cup. In 2005 he returned to France and joined Dunkerque HGL. He retired in 2008, and became the assistant coach at Dunkerque.
==Coaching career== After three years as the assistant, in 2011 he overtook the head coach position at the club.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.lequipe.fr/Handball/Actualites/Dunkerque-ne-reconduit-pas-son-entraineur-patrick-cazal-apres-11-saisons-passees-au-club/1306730 |publisher=L’Equipe |title=Dunkerque ne reconduit pas son entraîneur Patrick Cazal, après 11 saisons passées au club|accessdate=18 June 2022|language=fr}}</ref> He coached the club for 11 years until 2022.
Between September 2022 and April 2024 he was the head coach of the Tunisia men's national team.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.lequipe.fr/Handball/Actualites/Patrick-cazal-devient-selectionneur-de-la-tunisie/1355408 |title=Patrick Cazal devient sélectionneur de la Tunisie |publisher=L’Equipe |language=fr |date=2022-09-21 |access-date=2022-09-22}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.handball-world.news/artikel/ex-hbl-profi-in-tunesien-entlassen-1011873 |title=Ex-HBL-Profi in Tunesien entlassen |publisher=handball-world.news |language=de |date=2024-04-09 |accessdate=2024-04-09}}</ref>
==Titles== ===Club=== *'''French Championship''' **''Winner'': 1995, 1998, 1999 *'''French Cup''' **''Winner'': 1999 **''Finalist'': 1998 *'''EHF Cup''' **''Winner'': 2005
==Individual awards== * French Championship Best Coach: 2013, 2014
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{sports links}}
{{France squad 1995 World Men's Handball Championship}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cazal, Patrick}} Category:1971 births Category:Living people Category:French male handball players Category:Olympic handball players for France Category:Handball players at the 2000 Summer Olympics Category:Sportsmen from Réunion Category:French handball coaches Category:French expatriate sportspeople in Tunisia Category:Expatriate handball coaches Category:French expatriate handball players in Germany Category:French expatriate handball players in Spain Category:Handball players from Réunion Category:Paris Saint-Germain Handball players Category:Montpellier Handball players Category:CD Bidasoa players Category:20th-century French sportsmen Category:Handball World Champions