17/12/2018 09:00
An emotional journey to the past for Baptiste Geiler
2019 CEV Volleyball Champions League - Men
Friedrichshafen, Germany, December 17, 2018. On Tuesday, December 18, Germany’s VfB FRIEDRICHSHAFEN and France’s CHAUMONT VB 52 HM will meet for their second game in the pool stage of the 2019 CEV Volleyball Champions League. On the French side, we can spot a player who played for the ‘Häfler’ from 2013 to 2016. Baptiste Geiler has a very close relationship with the city on the shores of the Lake of Constance, not only because of competitive reasons.
On the morning of December 3, 2013, Geiler boarded the plane to Istanbul terribly tired. He had to travel alone. His teammates had already gone to Turkey the day before, for the Champions League match against Galatasaray. At that moment, Baptiste did not waste even a single thought on Volleyball. He closed his eyes and fell asleep. A few hours before, his girlfriend had given birth to their daughter Jana at the Klinikum Friedrichshafen. “It will be very special for me to come back to this place,” Geiler says. “There are so many good memories connected to this city. It was a very special time for me.”
It was for VfB FRIEDRICHSHAFEN as well. Geiler won the German cup and the championship with players like Maarten van Garderen and Benjamin Toniutti. His roommate was none other than Jénia Grebennikov who started his international career at the Lake of Constance. “That is why I really do miss Friedrichshafen,” Geiler says. “I hope to have time to go through the city, to see the mountains and to have a walk at the lake.” There should be time to do so when Geiler and CHAUMONT travel to Germany on January 30, 2019. However, before that, the French team will welcome the German cup winners on December 18.
Baptiste Geiler playing for VfB FRIEDRICHSHAFEN back in the 2013-2014 season.
After Geiler left Friedrichshafen in 2016, he went to Italy and France, where he played together with BERLIN’s current setter Jan Zimmermann. This season, CHAUMONT VB signed the outside hitter. VfB FRIEDRICHSHAFEN was already qualified for the pool phase of the 2019 CEV Volleyball Champions League, but CHAUMONT had to make a detour through the early rounds. “When I saw the chance to face FRIEDRICHSHAFEN in the pool phase I was really excited,” Geiler remembers. “And after the drawing of lots I was just like ‚wow‘.”
Geiler still knows three players from the current VfB roster. Thilo Späth-Westerholt and Adrian Aciobanitei played together with the Frenchman back in 2016. Jakob Günthör was on his way from the youth team, VolleyYoungstars, to be part of the Häfler professionals. For more information, Geiler may ask his teammate Martin Atanasov. The Bulgarian was part of Vital Heynen’s team until May 2018.
Baptiste Geiler trying to block together with former teammate Max Günthör.
For sure, the Häfler style of play has changed since Geiler left the club. Former coach Stelian Moculescu liked his team to play powerfully and risky. Vital Heynen prefers the ‘French style’, which means he wants his players to play smart and avoid errors. “That’s quite French indeed. We are very used to playing against strong defending teams in League A,” Geiler admits. “I do not know if it is an advantage for us. But it is a big honour to see the coach of the reigning world champions playing similar to our French national team.” The two battles between his current and his former team are “the most important in this Champions League campaign”, Geiler says. “I think we are both stronger than ACH Volley LJUBLJANA at this moment and Zenit SAINT PETERSBURG seems a little stronger than us and FRIEDRICHSHAFEN. Our games may decide about making it to the next round or not.”
On a side note, Geiler won his first game as a father back in 2013, 3-1 against Galatasaray FXTCR ISTANBUL. In this year’s campaign CHAUMONT - without an injured Baptiste Geiler - already surprised the fans by taking one point from St. Petersburg back to France. Therefore, VfB FRIEDRICHSHAFEN should be awake before the first clash against CHAUMONT this season. A little different than Geiler was on December 3, 2013.
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