Police, Poland, March 24, 2015. In the lead-up to the Final Four tournament of the 2015 CEV DenizBank Volleyball Champions League - Women, Giuseppe Cuccarini, the Italian head coach of the host team Chemik POLICE, answers some questions about his expectations.
Does the fact that you will compete against an Italian team, Unendo Yamamay BUSTO ARSIZIO, in the semifinals of the Champions League, make the preparation easier for you?
“As I am an Italian coach, it helps me a lot. I know many of the players. It is easier to prepare the tactics. However, that by itself will not make us the winners. Once the game starts anything can happen. The team from Busto Arsizio is strong. Although they had some problems at the beginning of the season, in January they started playing at a brilliant level. They are well prepared for the most important games. But we are ready too. We have to be fully concentrated.”
You did not compete in the playoffs of the Champions League. Do you feel any lack of international competition at the high level?
“We had some decisions to make. Especially after the hard time we had in January, I wanted February to be the time for some good training. We had to take a risk. However, we did play two friendly games against Germany’s DRESDNER SC.”
Do all of the four teams competing in the finals of the Champions League present a similar level or is it too hard to compare, because they come from different domestic leagues?
“The Turkish teams, VakifBank ISTANBUL and Eczacibasi VitrA ISTANBUL, are the most experienced in European competitions. When I was the coach of a team from Bergamo 14 years ago, Eczacibasi was our opponent in the semifinals of the Champions League. My current team Chemik has a lot to prove. We will fight for the medals!”
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