14/07/2014 19:00
Countdown has started in Bursa for first round of European League Finals
2014 CEV Volleyball European League - Women
Bursa, Turkey, July 14, 2014. The countdown has started in Bursa where on Wednesday the home heroines of Turkey will play Germany’s national team for the first of two final matches where the title of the 2014 CEV Volleyball European League – Women will be at stake. The second match-up will then follow on Saturday, July 19, in Rüsselsheim. If their opponents are chasing their second consecutive title in the competition, Turkey’s women will be vying for their first gold medal after winning silver in 2009 and in 2011.
Though they joined this year’s European League with a very young group, Turkey topped the charts of Pool A with 27 points, winning nine of their 12 matches in the League Round. This way they clearly distanced their opponents from Azerbaijan, Bulgaria and Slovenia, who settled for second, third and fourth place respectively. The players mentored by Ferhat Akbas have now their sight set on the first final match with Germany coming up on Wednesday at 5 pm local time. The city of Bursa and the Cengiz Göllü sports hall will welcome back elite Volleyball only a couple of weeks after hosting the Final Four of the FIVB Volleyball World League – Group 3. Back then, it was Cuba that emerged victorious after a dramatic final match with Turkey and so this time the local fans hope it will be the home team’s turn to shine and celebrate.
Germany is making its second appearance in the CEV Volleyball European League and last year won gold as the Finals were held in Varna, Bulgaria. The young players around head coach Giovanni Guidetti emulated their upcoming opponents from Turkey by topping the tables in Pool B with 26 points stemming from nine wins and three losses in a Pool that also included the likes of Poland, Spain, and Greece.
This year’s Finals will be an opportunity for young, up-and-coming players to shine. They will also turn into a very exciting confrontation opposing the respective head coaches, since Turkey’s mentor Ferhat Akbas is Guidetti’s assistant at VakifBank ISTANBUL. After joining forces for the start of the 2012/2013 season, Guidetti and Akbas drove VakifBank to an unprecedented winning streak of 73 consecutive matches, thereby winning the 2013 edition of the CEV Volleyball Champions League, the 2013 FIVB Women’s Club World Championship, as well as the 2013 edition of Turkey’s national league, national cup and Supercup. Though Akbas and Guidetti are close friends, this time around they will be standing on two different sides of the net, both hoping to steer their respective team to European League gold and to qualification for the 2015 edition of the FIVB Volleyball World Grand Prix.
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