14/08/2018 21:00
24 teams chase ticket to 2019 #EuroVolleyM
2019 CEV Volleyball European Championship - Men
Luxembourg, August 14, 2018. As many as 24 teams will take to the court on Wednesday for the start of the qualifications to the 2019 men’s EuroVolley – thus accounting for 12 matches across seven pools. It is going to be an incredibly exciting journey – with four rounds of play scheduled up until the end of August and two more to follow in January 2019 – as there are 12 tickets at stake to complete the field for the truly historic EuroVolleyM that France, Slovenia, Belgium and The Netherlands will be co-hosting in September of next year. The seven pool winners plus the five best runners-up across all pools will join the four organisers and eight teams qualified from the 2017 edition (Russia, Germany, Serbia, Italy, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Slovenia, France, Poland and Turkey) for a history-making Volleyball party.
Pool A
Romania vs. Denmark
Coming soon...
Pool B
Israel vs. Latvia
• Team Israel have been working together since last May with training camps in Poland and Romania, whose programme included a number of friendly matches with the national teams of Denmark and Romania.
• Israel and Latvia are the underdogs in Pool B where Estonia, winners of the 2018 Golden European League, are the heavy favourites.
• Latvia were the bronze medal winners of the Silver European League earlier this season.
Grzegorz Rys, head coach of Israel: “After nine weeks of hard work and friendly matches with Denmark and Romania, our team is now ready for the #EuroVolleyM qualifiers. We are anxiously waiting for the matchup with Latvia and hope to qualify for the Final Round of the European Championship.”
Pool C
Slovakia vs. Iceland
• This fixture coincides with the first ever matchup between the men’s national teams of Slovakia and Iceland.
• Slovakia have not missed on qualification to the #EuroVolleyM Final Round since 2007, with their best result being a fifth place they achieved in 2011. They have contested the Finals six times in a row and ten times since the breakup of the former Czechoslovakia back in 1993.
• Slovakia will play both of their home matches scheduled for the first round of qualifications in the city of Nitra.
Team Slovakia aim high for their home fixture with underdogs Iceland
Andrej Kravárik, coach of Slovakia: “Iceland is a rather unknown team for us and we will play against them for the first time. Volleyball is not that much developed in their country as for example football is. I think it is a good start for us, and this way we can prepare for the next match in Montenegro. Against Iceland, we want to confirm our role of pre-favourites. I do not want to underestimate Montenegro or Moldova, but we have a strong team and our goal is to win this group and qualify for the Final Round. The preparation was perfect and I have a very good feeling before the start of the European qualifications.”
Christophe Achten, coach of Iceland: “I think that Slovakia are the favourites of this match. We have another project with this team, since we will have the Small Countries Finals in 2019 and we use this qualification as a preparation for that tournament. We need to learn to play against teams like Slovakia, or Montenegro. Our players need to grow; we do not have a full team here in Slovakia, but we will do our best. We have many young players and for them it will be an honour to play against teams like those drawn in our group. It will be interesting to watch how they can handle this challenge. I think Slovakia are the favourites of this group.”
Republic of Moldova vs. Montenegro
• Moldova are playing their second match in history with Montenegro following the fixture these two teams contested in 2009 during the World Championship qualifications. Back then, Moldova lost to Montenegro in three sets.
• Middle blocker Vladimir Stelmah is out of contention for this match due to injury.
• The former captain of the Moldovan national team, Vadim Gherman, is back with the group. He is now 40 years old and used to lead the team back in the early 2000s.
• This is the first international match to take place at the Futsal Arena in Chisinau – the newest such facility in Moldova, complying with CEV requirements.
• While preparing for the #EuroVolleyM qualifiers, Moldova contested a couple of friendly matches with Ukraine and Romania in Zaporozhye and Craiova, respectively.
Artur Romascan, head coach of Moldova: “Even though some may regard us as the underdogs in the pool, we see ourselves as one of the favourites in the group and we will fight for qualification to the Final Round.”
Pool D
Portugal vs. Albania
• Portugal vs Albania will open the programme in Pool D with the match starting at 8:00 pm local time at Centro de Desportos e Congressos de Matosinhos.
• It is the first time that these two teams will play each other in European qualifiers. Even though Albania have a long a remarkable Volleyball history, the team has reappeared on the international stage in recent years, finishing sixth in this year’s Silver European League and fifth in the 2017 edition of the European League.
• On the other hand, Portugal won this past June the FIVB Volleyball Challenger Cup, thus claiming the right to contest the 2019 edition of the elite FIVB Volleyball Nations League. Portugal are the gold medal winners from the 2010 European League as well.
• Portugal’s major stars and best scorers, siblings Alexandre and Marco Ferreira, respectively outside hitter and opposite, are recovering from injuries that prevented them from facing Latvia in three friendly matches held a couple of weeks ago.
Portugal have high ambitions for the #EuroVolleyM qualifiers following their success in the FIVB Challenger Cup earlier this summer
“There are no easy opponents anymore and the absence of Marco and Alex in our preparation forced us to reinvent solutions, which always makes it difficult for the initial plans of a National team. It will be a race against time in search of the best line-up and at the same time, we will try to manage to put the two players in the best possible conditions. The team will stick together as never before, and even in the absence of any colleague, we will show the spirit of mutual support that characterises this group. With the victory of the Volleyball Challenger Cup, the team has raised the bar a lot higher and therefore nobody will accept anything different than winning and fighting for the top position in the pool,” says Hugo Silva, Portugal’s coach.
Austria vs. Croatia
• Austria men’s national team start their 2019 CEV Volleyball European Championship campaign on Wednesday at 8.15 p.m. at the Stadthalle Steyr. The home side is confident that they can book their spot in the Final Round. The preparations went according to plan.
• Croatia is a tough opponent, though, since back in June, they won the Silver European League to secure promotion to the top tier – the Golden European League – in 2019.
• Croatia opposite Leo Andric is Alexander Berger’s teammate at Sir Sicoma Colussi PERUGIA. Together they won the Italian championship and the national cup in a highly successful 2017-2018 season. Andric was top scorer in the Silver European League with 172 points.
Team Austria competed in the Silver European League earlier this season
Austria head coach Michael Warm: “All players are very much looking forward to the European qualifiers. We believe in our chances to book our place in the Final Round of the European Championship, but must not forget that the level in Europe is constantly increasing. Croatia has a strong team and they won the Silver European League this year. Reaching the final of the FIFA World Cup with their football team could give them an extra boost. The physical state on game day will be crucial. We are very happy to play in Steyr, where the fantastic local crowd will certainly push us even further.”
Austria star player Paul Buchegger: “For me it is always special to play at home in Upper Austria and see my family and friends in the stands. The preparation went well, and we can hardly wait for the games to start. Our teamwork is better today than it was during the Silver European League in May.”
Ivan Rančić, head coach of Croatia: “It has been a long summer and we have been together for two months, preparing everything in detail. I am very satisfied with the preparations in Maribor and later on in Spain. It is important that my players are working and playing as a collective. The pool is hard, maybe the hardest. Portugal is the no. 1. They are a very serious opponent, but Austria is strong too, since they have great players in their team. All teams are in good shape and they will have to try hard to beat us.”
Danijel Galić, team captain of Croatia: “I have to agree that Portugal is No. 1, but we know how to play against favourites. There will be no problems with that. We had some issues with injuries but I think that we can beat anyone.”
Pool E
Spain vs. Georgia
• The African Spanish enclave of Melilla returns to host the Spanish men’s national team two decades after the 1998 World League matches with Bulgaria.
• It is somehow a historic fixture since Spain and Georgia play each other for the very first time.
• The roster of the home side features two returnees who missed the Golden European League earlier this season, i.e. setter Miguel Angel de Amo and outside hitter Francisco José ‘Fran’ Ruiz. Alvaro Gimeno Rubio will be making his debut with the senior national team.
• The sensational winners of the 2007 edition, Spain want to qualify for the #EuroVolleyM Finals for the second straight time. Georgia, on the other hand, have never made it there this far.
The Sports Councillor of Melilla, Mr Antonio Miranda, paid a visit to the Spanish national team preparing for their home fixture with Georgia
Jorge Fernández Valcarcel, player and captain of Spain. “We have worked very hard for the last three months, and now we are on the way to reach our goal: qualify for the 2019 European Championship. The first match against Georgia will not be easy, but we will try to do our best.”
Fran Ruiz, player of Spain: “We do not know that many things about Georgia. We know that they are a tough and hard rival. We need the support of our fans to achieve our sole goal: win and qualify for the Final Round.”
Belarus vs. Norway
• Belarus start their journey in the 2019 #EuroVolleyM qualifiers hosting Norway at SK Olimpiets in Mogilev.
• Team Belarus spent the last few days in Mogilev in order to work at the venue of their matchup with Norway. They travelled to Greece as well earlier this month, playing three friendly matches with the Greek national team and emerging victorious from two of these fixtures.
• Siarhei Antanovich has returned to play for the Belarusian national team after a short break and spending time in the Turkish national league.
• Earlier this season, Belarus finished second in the 2018 edition of the Silver European League, losing only to Croatia in the gold medal match.
Viktar Beksha, coach of Belarus: “I expect a real fight from Norway especially since they have been very successful in their sparring matches with Denmark. They usually win at least one or two sets, no matter how their matches end.”
Pool F
Ukraine vs. Switzerland
Coming soon...
Hungary vs. Former Y.R. of Macedonia
Coming soon...
Pool G
Greece vs. Luxembourg
• Greece seek return to the European Championship for the first time in nine years, since they finished eighth in 2009.
• The best ever finish for Greece in a European Championship was third in 1987, after a 3-2 win over Sweden in bronze medal match in Gent, Belgium.
• The host city of Alexandroupolis and region of Evros are historically Greece’s ‘Volleyball capital’ with strong clubs that have provided the National Teams with some world-class players.
• Greece coach Dimitrios Andreopoulos, a former National Team setter, makes his second appearance at the helm of the side, after leading Greece to bronze at the Mediterranean Games earlier this year.
A picture from Tuesday's Press
Conferece in with, left to right: Georgios Petreas, Greece captain; Yannis
Vatamidis, Alexandroupolis Vice-Mayor; Dimitrios Andreopoulos, Greece coach;
Takis Kavallierakis, Hellenic Volleyball Federation Treasurer; Costas Gotsidis,
President of Alexandroupolis Municipal Council.
Dimitrios Andreopoulos, head coach of Greece: “We have before us a difficult fortnight with back-to-back travel and matches and we need to manage this correctly throughout the duration. We are ready to make a dynamic entry against Luxembourg and ultimately qualify to the European Championship.”
Dieter Scholl, head coach of Luxembourg: “We know that we are the underdogs in our pool, but we know how to play Volleyball and we are prepared. Greece in my opinion is the favourite to take first place. We have watched some videos from Greece and we know some players and have some information.”
Azerbaijan vs. Sweden
• The men’s national team of Azerbaijan are contesting the qualifiers to the 2019 #EuroVolleyM, starting with a home match against Sweden due to take place at Darnagul A.Y.S. Volleyball Centre in Baku.
• The other two teams in Pool G are Greece and Luxembourg.
Farid Jalalov, head coach of Azerbaijan: “I very much hope for a good performance from our side. We obviously respect our opponent, but we are going to show what we are capable of since this is the only right attitude in order to become a good team.”
Aleksey Chervyakov, team captain of Azerbaijan: “It is obvious that every team will play to win. This is our main goal in this competition as well. We will play our first match with Sweden – and I do feel like the matches with Greece will be the toughest ones for us in this competition. I wish the best of luck to all players and teams.”
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