22/07/2014 18:40
Greece and Montenegro to deliver Volleyball show in European League finals
2014 CEV Volleyball European League - Men
Thessaloniki, Greece, July 22, 2014. The 2014 edition of the CEV Volleyball European League – Men is about to come to a close with the final matches starring the national teams of Greece and Montenegro. The first leg is scheduled for Wednesday, July 23, at Evosmos sports hall in Thessaloniki with the match starting at 7 pm local time. The return game is coming up on Saturday, July 19, in Budva, starting at 8 pm local time.
The finals may go either way but there will be anyway a first-time champion in the end since Greece’s best result in the competition dates back to 2006 as they won bronze in their first European League campaign. As for Montenegro, the team from the country that gained independence in 2006 made its debut only last year and for the first time has progressed to the last stage of the competition.
Greece’s head coach and captain, Sotirios Drikos and Mitar Tzourits, expressed their satisfaction for reaching the finals at a press conference held on Tuesday in Thessaloniki. They stressed the importance of their victory over Slovenia, the team that everyone considered the hottest candidate for the title. Montenegro’s head coach Slobodan Boskan and team captain Vojin Cacic agreed in saying that they expect a tough match on Wednesday but that their goal is to travel back home with three points from the first round.
“We expect a tough game, much more difficult than the one we played in the fifth leg of the prelims and where we beat Greece in three sets,” Cacic said. “We have to play well right from the first point all the way to the end; we have to put pressure on their receivers with our service and to stop their best player Mitar Tzourits. Our goal is to win and to take three points so that we get the right edge for the second leg and then our task will be easier in front of our fans.”
“I would like to thank everyone for the warm welcome we have received,” Boskan said. “There are not that many things to say about the finals of a competition. It is always difficult at this stage since the strongest teams have made it through to fight for the title. I can say that I am happy also because we both came from Pool A which was tougher than the other one, and both these teams deserve to be in the final. Greece beat Slovenia and we edged Macedonia. It wasn’t easy at all for us since after losing the first match in Skopje we had to win the second and after that also the golden set. I expect two difficult matches as any finals would be, where both teams will be fighting for every point and stand equal chances to win. I do trust my team: we have been playing very well throughout the whole tournament; I am confident that my players will give their best and that we will perform well also in the first match here in Thessaloniki.”
“I would like to welcome the team of Montenegro,” said Mitar Tzourits while addressing the media. “As I have already stressed many times, we have a young team which is not that experienced. Maybe nobody expected we would make the finals, but of course I am happy and satisfied with what we have achieved so far. Sometimes this can turn into a dangerous situation because a team like ours could be tired and already satisfied with what it has accomplished. This is the first time that Greece is playing in the finals of the European League; we must reset our minds, forget all the matches we have played up to now and play as good as we can with Montenegro. They have a good team, with some experienced players, but I believe in my team: I am proud that we have progressed to the finals and now we will try to win the title.”
After welcoming his opponents to Thessaloniki, Greece’s head coach Sotirios Drikos said: “I hope and expect that we will have two open and tough matches in the finals. A final is a final. It is even more important for our team because we are back among the top three of this competition after a break of eight years. A final is a challenge for a young team like ours. First of all, you have to be able to cope with the emotions and then to control your tactics and technical skills. I am sure that Montenegro is happy to play with us and not with Slovenia which was the pre-favourite to win this competition. However, we beat them and it is important that we stay aggressive and focused from the start until the end. As our captain already mentioned, it looks like a trap because our team may be tired and already satisfied with what we have achieved. We will try to clean up our minds and to concentrate solely on these two last matches. I expect two close matches which will turn into the best way to promote this competition. I would like to invite all fans here in Thessaloniki to come and watch the final. It will be an honour for my players to play in a packed sports hall. In this kind of matches every single point counts but I believe we are ready for the fight and we want to make the best out of this opportunity.”
Click here for more information
|