Generali Unterhacing – team
The Bayern team also had the biggest troubles of all three main title contenders on the transfer market. Having originally agreed terms with the American middle blocker Theodore Brunner (departing from CMC Ravenna), the board of Haching were stunned to find out during one of their routine medical tests that he has a heart problem which sets his professional sports life to a huge risk – something totally neglected and untested in Ravenna previously. The news came as a huge exclamation mark to the management of the vice-champions and they were forced to seek a quick solution at the end of the summer when most of the top international players had already been contracted. It was the Belgian Matias Raymaekers (from Belogorie, Russia) who was a free agent at the time to fill in the absence of Brunner.
Additionally, Unterhaching had to find replacements for Max Gunthor (to Friedrichshafen), Denis Kaliberda (Tonno Callipo Vibo Valentia in Italy), Freddy Cedeno and Thiago (both released, unknown clubs). Konstantin Shumov from the Finnish national team (Acqua Paradiso Monza Brianza) and the former Dutch international Jan Willem Snippe (NGM Mobile Santa Croce, Italian Serie A2) were the ones to be engaged.
The roster was reinforced by the ex-Haching setter Patrick Steuerwald who, having terminated his contract with the Polish Politechnika Warszawa, was a free agent and decided to return to the Bundesliga. Alike Robert Kromm, Steuerwald was also dropped from the London squad and will hope to get his national team spot back soon. However, he will first have to cope with the competition of Skladany and den Boer in Unterhaching.
Head coach: Mihai Paduretu
Setters: Huib den Boer (Netherlands), Patrick Steuerwald, Branislav Skladany (Slovakia)
Outside hitters: Jan Willem Snippe (Netherlands), Robert Hupka (Slovakia), Tom Strohbach, Alexander Shafranovich (Israel)
Opposites: Simon Hirsch, Christian Duennes
Middle blockers: Matias Raymaekers (Belgium), Konstantin Shumov (Finland), Roy Friedrich
Libero: Sebastian Pruesener
Champions League opponents: Lube Banca Marche Macerata (Italy), ACH Volley Bled (Slovenia), Euphony Asse-Lennik (Belgium)
