03/03/2014 12:00
Georg Grozer wants to bring CL trophy back to Belgorod
News from the clubs
Belgorod, Russia, March 3, 2014. Russia’s Belogorie BELGOROD has put on a real show of strength in this year’s CEV DenizBank Volleyball Champions League – Men and in less than three weeks the team mentored by Gennadi Shipulin will be vying for their third title in Europe’s elite competition after the club seized the crown already in 2003 and 2004. German opposite Georg Grozer scored 130 points so far and “Hammer Schorsch” as he is nicknamed will be one of the players to watch out for in Ankara. Grozer will be making in Turkey his first appearance in a Final Four of the CEV Volleyball Champions League.
“This is the Final Four Tournament of the CEV DenizBank Volleyball Champions League; this tournament will feature the four top teams in the world and I can only expect a great volleyball weekend given the level of the players that will be competing there” Grozer says. “I know that every volleyball player dreams of playing in the Final Four. This is something very special also for me since this has been my dream and goal for many years. I will do everything I can in order to bring the trophy back to Belgorod and add this medal to my personal showcase” he continues.
Before moving to Russia to play for Belogorie, Grozer already got to feel the unique atmosphere of the Champions League wearing the jersey of VfB FRIEDRICHSHAFEN and Asseco Resovia RZESZOW. “If I have to say what makes the Champions League so different from any other competition, I would say that it is the biggest challenge that a volleyball player can take on. On top of this, if you win the title, this will stand forever and this is something you can be really proud of” Grozer emphasizes.
The Final Four weekend in Ankara will start with a Russian derby against Zenit KAZAN for Grozer & Co. Belogorie downed Zenit in the semis of the Russian Cup in late January but the team from the capital city of Tatarstan will certainly be looking for revenge. “I strongly believe that we can win this game too” Grozer says quite straightforward. “We are a strong team and we are preparing very carefully for the semi-final knowing that Zenit will put on a great battle. Anytime Belogorie and Zenit play each other, you always get a hot game, so we are very much focused on our preparations for this semi-final”.
If they claim the derby with Zenit, Belogorie would then take on hosts Halkbank or Poland’s JASTRZEBSKI Wegiel in the final match. “At this stage of the competition it does not really matter whom you get to play” Grozer says. “For the time being I am just focusing on the game with Zenit KAZAN. I am taking it step by step”.
Georg is spending his second season in Russia whose league is probably the most competitive in the world right now. How does he cope with the many (long) travels, the busy schedule, and the fact that almost every weekend you get to play a strong opponent? “If you want to be one of the top players in the world, you have to play and beat the strongest teams and the strongest players” Grozer acknowledges. “At the beginning it was hard to get used to the routine teams have here in Russia, but if you show the right attitude and with the support of your family, team, and management, you can cope with everything. I feel very good here in Belgorod even though my family unfortunately is not here with me (Grozer is married and has two little daughters). I have very good friends here in Belgorod and with volleyball I have achieved something great. I still have problems with the language; Russian is very difficult, but we speak English and it works just great. It is a lot of fun to play here in Russia because you have to stand a lot of challenges and I just love it”.
The legendary coach of Belogorie, Gennadi Shipulin, announced before the start of the season that he wanted his team to win every single competition they enter this year. An ambitious plan which shall lead to Belogorie winning the Champions League and qualifying for the Club World Championship in Betim, Brazil. “I am a player who wants to win everything so I can only share and support his attitude and approach. That is also why I am still here in Belgorod, because this team has the potential to win every competition it participates in. It is a unique opportunity and great challenge at the same time and I am working very hard every day in order to achieve the goals we have set. Of course, you get to feel some pressure but without pressure it wouldn’t be possible to play volleyball at this level” Grozer concludes.
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