CEV Volleyball European Championship – Men
“We surely need to take as many points as possible from this first round because the second tournament in Turkey will be very complicated. The way we played the Netherlands in the Playoffs for the 2013 World League gave us the right confidence as the ticket for the European Champs remains our primary goal” says head coach Flavio Gulinelli. “I cannot say that we are going to win every single match but these players will give their best to make this happen. I also would like to see a packed sports hall. The renovation our group is undergoing and the quality of our opponents are the right pre-conditions for a great show. We expect a good crowd that will also contribute to our charity action, as they are invited to bring some food items to help people in need instead of paying for the entrance. We hope many people will join this action and support our team as well”.
“This is going to be a very tough group since all teams have been preparing this summer for this tournament. Even though we participated in the World League, our main goal for the season remained the qualification for the final round of the European Championship. Turkey shall be our main competitor but we shall not underestimate the other teams. Great Britain recently played at the Olympics in London and we know the value of Belarus as well” says local star Andre Lopes. “I also think that the campaign launched by our Federation is praiseworthy and shall turn into an example also for other sports. Volleyball is a pioneer in this sense but I hope others will show the same sensibility and join the action”. Special containers will be available in the sports hall to collect food items throughout the weekend as the Volleyball family joins the fight against hunger.
