Grodecki and Bernardi
JASTRZEBSKI Węgiel will take part in Europe’s elite club competition for the fifth time in their history. The team from Upper Silesia was assigned by the DOL to Pool F together with Turkey’s Halkbank ANKARA, Romania’s Tomis CONSTANTA and Austria’s Hypo Tirol INNSBRUCK.
“We are glad that we can play in this prestigious competition again. I don’t want to declare anything, but certainly it is a dream for every sportsman to win the Champions League. I may only promise that our team will try to win each match and in every game the players will do their best. We will accept every result with humility. Of course it will be great if we reach the Playoff round or even the Final Four. We have got good memories from Bolzano” said club President Zdzisław Grodecki recalling the venue of the 2011 final four where the team finished in fourth place.
Team captain Michał Łasko knows this kind of competition from the past, as he got the opportunity to play in the Champions League while representing the likes of Sisley TREVISO and Bre Banca Lannutti CUNEO. “Pool F is not easy due to the fact that among the opponents there is Halkbank ANKARA and we will play this side right at the start of our campaign. The Champions League is the competition that is played at the highest technical level in the world” stressed Łasko. “Right now we have to focus on ourselves. We will see how far we can get. I agree with the President that in every single match we have to do our best,” Łasko added.
“The CEV Volleyball Champions League is the most important tournament in Europe. We are proud that we can be part of it. We are expecting matches with one very strong team, Halkbank, and two maybe not easy teams, but within our reach. At this moment we must look at ourselves and focus on our training. We had only two weeks to work together [six of JASTRZEBSKI Węgiel players participated in the 2013 CEV VELUX EuroVolley]. We need more patience in our play and we must be prepared for some hard moments during the games. If we accomplish this the level of our play will grow. The Champions League is a very important goal for us” said head coach Lorenzo Bernardi.
To read more about this competition check out our CEV Champions League 2013/2014 M coverage page.
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