19/11/2018 17:40
Arkas IZMIR ready for #CLVolleyM debut
2019 CEV Volleyball Champions League - Men
Izmir, Turkey, November 19, 2018. As they prepare to play their first home match in the 2019 CEV Volleyball Champions League – Men, Pool E against TOURS VB on Wednesday, November 21, Arkas IZMIR hosted a meeting with local and national media to disclose their goals and expectations. Arkas head coach Glenn Hoag, team captain Joao Paulo Pereira Bravo, fitness coach Nurcan Celep and press secretary Ugur Ozden attended the press conference held at Vestel Venus Atatürk Volleyball Hall.
Glenn Hoag said, “The Champions League is the most important tournament to me and also my most favourite. Because all teams in the tournament are really good and playing with better teams will be a big opportunity for us. I have players who will be playing in the Champions League for the first time and that is a great opportunity for young players. We are in a tough group. We knew that we would be pitted against such strong teams but this will give us an idea of where we are currently in terms of team performance.
“All the rival teams have a great track record of success in Volleyball. The Italian Sir Colussi Sicoma PERUGIA is one of the best teams in the world. They have the best opposite, setter and outside hitter. It will be an interesting match for us. Dinamo MOSCOW are a typical Russian team made of physically superior players. They generally float good serves and are good at blocking as well. TOURS VB are also a balanced team and a very experienced one. They have some talented and skilful players as well. All three teams have a range of players at the top of their performance and it will be a good experience for us. It will be a great success for us if we can make it out of the group. We have young players like Yiğit [Gülmezoglu] and Adis [Lagumdzija] playing in the line-up and this will give them even more experience. Indeed, we will work hard to make it out of the group but our primary objective is to achieve progress as a team.”
Bravo, the team’s experienced captain, said that Arkas IZMIR are one of the best teams in Europe and would face opponents equal in strength. “We have a good chance to improve ourselves playing against such good teams. We will play for the best. The match on Wednesday is quite important. The more we play against these teams and the more we achieve success, the more gain we will get. The greater the number of matches and the sets played, the greater the benefit for us,” said Bravo.
Arkas IZMIR press secretary Ugur Ozden stated that they were in a difficult group: “This will be a great experience for our young players. The formula has changed, and only the pool winners and three best runners-up will make it to the next round. There will be no Final Four this year. Following the group matches, eight teams will be playing the quarterfinals to make it to the final. There will not be any relegation to the CEV Cup this year. Those losing will bid farewell to the tournament at the end of the pool phase. Finally, the men’s and women’s finals will be played in the same country. We invite all Volleyball lovers in Izmir to these beautiful matches.”
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