Zadar EuroVolley
This biggest competition for women’s national teams, under the auspices of the European Federation CEV, will feature the 24 best teams of the Old Continent.
These four cities and their home countries, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania, will try to replicate and even surpass the success achieved by the last edition of the 2019 European Championships, hosted by Turkey, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia.
In Zadar, one of the Croatian tourist pearls on the Adriatic, volleyball excitement will start long before August and the European Championship. Already in May, Zadar will host the qualifications for the European Volleyball Championship, and at the end of June the FIVB Challenger Volleyball Cup.
Therefore, it is not surprising that the Croatian Volleyball Federation has long since meticulously started preparations for this ‘long warm volleyball summer’.
For this purpose, ambassadors of the Zadar group of the European Championship have already been elected, who will each in their own way help the competition to be as successful as possible, and to reach every sports fan in Croatia, but also beyond, of course.
A number of the names of these ambassadors arouse awe at the very mention. Barbara Ružić (Jelić) is one of Croatian best players of all time, who is associated with the greatest successes of the Croatian national team, from a volleyball family, which at the end of a grand career that could be crowned by entering the volleyball Hall of Fame in America, settled in Zadar, with husband, of the famous basketball player Tomislav.
And another world-famous basketball player from Zadar, Marko Popović, an international and former member of the Croatian national team who shared his well-deserved sports retirement and now, according to his own confession, shortens his days by fishing, shared the ball with Tomislav. And by following the sport, of course:
„I am very glad that Zadar will host one of the groups of the European Volleyball Championship because this is a real sports city that knows and appreciates sports. I just hope that by then the Covid 19 virus will be tamed and that the audience will be able to support our girls because I know very well how important the support from the stands is when playing in a jersey with the national emblem, especially the Zadar spectators. I have always followed volleyball, I was looking forward to the successes of previous generations who were closer to me by age, and I was always sorry that I did not have the opportunity to get to know one of the volleyball players better, because our paths, despite playing in several countries, somehow diverged. That is why I will now have time in Zadar to make up for it all.“
Senna Ušić Jogunica, a legendary Croatian volleyball player, also from a sports volleyball and basketball family, is a logical choice for the Eurovolley ambassador in Zadar. Considering that until recently she was part of the national team, she knows very well what is needed for a great atmosphere in the team.
„I played together with more than half of these girls who are now in the national team and I am already looking forward to their matches. They are responsible for the great atmosphere, they have a phenomenal coach and conditions that I even envy them a little. The Croatian Volleyball Federation is following them really well, so the girls have all the prerequisites to make a step forward compared to previous championships. We all warmly hope that by then the situation with the coronavirus pandemic will be under control and that the hall in Zadar will be too small to accommodate all the fans.“
Along with Šime Vrsaljko, another great athlete from Zadar, a member of the national football team and a silver on EC who wholeheartedly supports volleyball players, among the ambassadors is Igor Omrčen, a Croatian national volleyball team member who, just like Šime, is still active.
„It is extremely important due to the popularity of volleyball in our country that one group of the European Championship will be played in Zadar. Our volleyball players have absolutely deserved it with their games and results so far, and I hope that this will be additional support and incentive for them to make the best possible result. And all of us who are ambassadors of Eurovolley in Zadar will do our best to help them along the way as much as we can.“
