The accusations that the three long-time members of the Belgium Women’s Volleyball National Team presented against the head coach Gert Vande Broek appalled everyone who loves this sport. The expert had something to say in his defense…
Sporza managed to get a statement from Vande Broek in regard to bullying accusations pointed at him by the three members of the Belgium National Team: Freya Aelbrecht, Hélène Rousseaux, and Valérie Courtois.
“I’m, of course, very sorry about what I saw and heard. It gives me the impression that it’s the most important and only feeling left by some players after 10 years of intense collaboration on and off the field with a lot of, I want to emphasize, ups and downs. I can guarantee that was absolutely never my intention. Of course, I was also shocked by the image that was created of me as a coach and also a bit as a person. But, today I’m a little less concerned because of the many spontaneous reactions from players, the public, and the federation. I can only hope that they somehow shed a different light on this matter as well,” said the 54-year-old expert.
Vande Broek was backed up by the Belgian federation (Volley Belgium), which issued a statement in regard to the matter.
“Following the testimonies in ‘The winner’s prize’, the federation has asked the national coach for explanation and context. After that conversation, the federation is convinced that Vande Broek has always strived for a development climate, in which players can perform optimally and excel both individually and as a team, and that he never intended to touch anyone personally in this process,” Volley Belgium released among other things.
