01/04/2016 15:15
Dinamo and Galatasaray go for much anticipated re-match for CEV Cup crown
2016 CEV Volleyball Cup - Women
Krasnodar, Russia, April 1, 2016. The team captains and coaches of Dinamo KRASNODAR and Galatasaray Daikin ISTANBUL attended on Friday a press conference organised on the eve of the much anticipated re-match coming up on Saturday where the crown of this year’s CEV Volleyball Cup – Women will be at stake. The media meeting was attended also by the General Manager of Dinamo, Andrey Makarov, and CEV Supervisor Sandor Hoboth. On Tuesday night Galatasaray claimed the first leg of this fixture by cruising to a tie-break home win.
“I would like to welcome everyone to Krasnodar! I am hoping that our teams will deliver a real Volleyball show to be enjoyed by all of the fans that will be in attendance tomorrow,” Mr Makarov said. “I think that the Russian fans have closely followed the match played last Tuesday in Istanbul. We do respect our opponent and I am hoping that tomorrow great Volleyball will be on display.”
Dinamo are hoping to retain the title they won last year when they edged Poland’s PGE Atom Trefl SOPOT in the finals. “We have been preparing as good as we can for tomorrow’s match,” Makarov continued. “This is the most important moment of our European campaign this season. Of course this sense of anticipation is being shared by our fans because this is a final. It’s a match but a party at the same time. Our players are ready and will continue to work according to the agreed schedule.”
Dinamo KRASNODAR head coach Konstantin Ushakov said: “We have been preparing for this match as carefully as possible. All players are ready and can’t wait to perform. We do not want only to show a good performance but also to retain the cup that we won last year. After flying back from Turkey on Wednesday we have had a good preparation phase, with one training session yesterday, another one today, and tomorrow morning we will have a warming up to be followed by the match later in the afternoon. As far as Tatiana Kosheleva is concerned, we will see, we haven’t decided yet if she is going to play or not.”
Dinamo captain Liubov Sokolova said: “It is always easier and more pleasant to play at home than away. We knew that the support of their fans was going to be felt when playing in Istanbul and now we expect our supporters to be just as passionate. I know that the match is sold out, so the ambiance will be great and it is always a pleasure for any player to perform before a full house. A few days ago we played a close match, which they won 3-2. Both teams are really determined to win the cup; Galatasaray have a strong team and we have to be prepared for another tough game.”
Galatasaray Daikin coach Ataman Güneyligil stated: “We have travelled to Krasnodar motivated to play a good match but we know that it won’t be an easy one. We have to be ready for a rea fight and to stay focussed. Galatasaray’s roster includes many home-grown players, that is true, especially compared to other Turkish top teams. This is part of our general policy and the result of a development project which has been lasting for five years now. However, there is also a financial benefit resulting from this strategy and this decision is definitely a good one also for the budget of our team.”
Italian-born opposite and team captain Nadia Centoni said: “I expect a tough match because Dinamo is a very strong team. Galatasaray, on the other hand, has a rather young roster and so tomorrow’s match will be a tough and challenging one.”
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