VfB Friedrichshafen – team
The club dreams about making it there once more this year but the first step is the League Round where the “Häfler” will be playing in Pool A alongside last year’s winners of Zenit KAZAN, plus Knack ROESELARE of Belgium and Hypo Tirol INNSBRUCK of Austria. VfB must finish first or be one of the five second-ranked teams with the best score to advance to the Playoffs 12.
“Zenit is the defending champion and out of our reach, so we have to edge Knack ROESELARE and Hypo Tirol to make it to the next round” says head coach Stelian Moculescu.
The first opportunity for VfB to achieve this goal will be on Wednesday as the Germans play Hypo Tirol in Innsbruck for the first round of action. The Austrian champions have signed a very good opposite, Ronald Jimenez, and have got two experienced middle blockers, Davor Cebron and Razvan Daniel Gavan. To replace setter Claudio Carletti who is out due to injury, Hypo Tirol has brought to Innsbruck Robert Koch who spent a few seasons (2000-2002 and 2003-2005) with the club from the Lake of Constance. Alexander Berger and Rudinei Boff, outside hitters, and libero Frederick Laure complete the starting six of a very solid team.
“Our chances are not so bad”, says Moculescu. “We must take our opportunities”.
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