European Championships 2015 - hosts Italy and Bulgaria

    Thankfully volleyball logic prevailed. If Bulgaria had won 3-0, we could've had the weakest Euro champion ever (although great kudos to Slovenia for what they did so far). I haven't seen France playing that badly as they did in the first 2 sets and a half for more than a year. But as always, BG are kings in snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. Afterwards, France were calm and composed (even during 1-4 in the 5th set) and did what they should've done in 3 sets.

    Quote from arman

    What a great show by both teams, French have shown how powerful they are, they are becoming dangerous for volleyball. :D


    i smell irony?!


    Anyway, great effort by Bulgarians. I would have loved to see them winning this. So better luck tomorrow :box:

    Quote from TimHH


    i smell irony?!


    Anyway, great effort by Bulgarians. I would have loved to see them winning this. So better luck tomorrow :box:


    No just kidding! Because my ideal volleyball world doesnt have a king, (I mean I dont like one team becomes so powerful to defeat all, like Brazil's era). so I might be fan of a team in a tournament, and if it gets gold I would be against it in the next one!

    Quote from Leonardo.D

    It will hard to choice for which team I should cheer up. Both of team play a nice volleyball, but maybe the Cindirella's story is more attactive


    I agree! France (which I love) on one side and Giani+Cinderella's story on the other... I guess I'll cheer for good volleyball, period ^^


    Congrats France for the second final in two tournament this year, well deserved imho!


    Congrats also to Bulgaria, that was really close to get in France way! You'll have a big chance tomorrow, I'm not sure if Italy will erase the delusion so fast, even if obviously I hope for.

    Quote from Richard


    The longer this game takes, the higher the chances of Slovenia tomorrow.


    I somehow disagree. That kind of comebacks usually work wonders for team's morale and self confidence(not that N'gapeth and his teammates lack any :D ). I don't think France will have problems beating Slovenia. Bulgarians, on the other hand, will be thinking of the waisted chance to play for the gold and will get their ass kicked badly. Hope I'm wrong though

    Quote from arman


    No just kidding! Because my ideal volleyball world doesnt have a king, (I mean I dont like one team becomes so powerful to defeat all, like Brazil's era). so I might be fan of a team in a tournament, and if it gets gold I would be against it in the next one!

    :rolll: :dance6:


    I dont like a superteam neither. I usually like the "worst" team.

    Congrats to Slovenia, nothing to say: very concrete game, high percentage in attack, good defense and counter attack and also powerful serve. Uranus is really a magician to play against the block, Cebulj and Gasparini had powerful and efficient spikes as well! Happy for them, and for Giani too!


    Italy wasted a great occasion.. the team looked lost and without the right conviction, our weak links came out as never did during this summer, especially our holes in the middle (Bira please come back). Unfortunately Zaytsev didn't have a positive night and his backup wasn't ready (Vettori :aww: ). We served too easy and slow, while our reception had hard times, so Giannelli couldn't do his game. Our block was inexistent...bad bad game! I feel sorry for my team, I know we've already accomplished much this summer but we were near to another great final at least.. I hope they manage to step up again and take the bronze even if it will be difficult!

    What a disappointment, I really thought this tournament was ours after Russia, Serbia and Poland were out. I don't care the slightest about another bronze medal, let's see if the players have the same opinion as mine. For sure if they play again like they did today, it will be a sweep for Bulgaria.


    Now let's see what will be of Slovenia's magical run, I would pay to see them win and burst the French bubble- and the Berlin tournament!

    Quote from YavorD

    The final standings up to the fifth place have been announced. I do not know which criteria have been applied because it is clearly not based on the results from the quarterfinals. Poland finished 5th (organizer of the 2017 European Championship), Russia 6th (qualify for the next ECH), Serbia 7th (qualify for the next ECH), Germany 8th. The Germans will have to enter the qualification rounds. Another interesting piece of information came out on the Russian volleyball media volleyservice.ru - link. Obviously the Russians have ended their worst European campaign. Even as USSR they had not recorded a worse finish, thus making this 6th place the worst in their entire history. Previously they had achieved two 5th places as Russia at the 1995 and 1997 ECHs (and didn't participate at the first ECH in 1948 ).


    According to my own calculations Poland will finish 5th, Russia 6th, Serbia 7th and Germany 8th, so the final classification you presented seems to be correct. You need to take into account not only the results of quarter-finals, but also preliminary pools.


    5 Poland
    6 Russia
    7 Serbia
    8 Germany
    9 The Netherlands
    10 Belgium
    11 Estonia
    12 Finland
    13 Czech Republic
    14 Slovakia
    15 Croatia
    16 Belarus


    Places 5-8: quarter-finals + preliminary pools (you just add points and if needed, calculate set ratios)
    Places 9-12: play-offs + preliminary pools
    Places 13-16: preliminary pools only, quite logical, isn't it ;)


    That's it. :)

    Bulgarian OPP will have nightmares with single blocks.
    Such experienced Player shouldn't have problems with single blocks.

    No 15 from Bulgaria is great material to be Dark Queen. I had a feeling that He had make up on face lol

    Maybe you spoke too early Ivan :lol: You're still losing

    Quote

    Zaytsev added that Italy have become a better team with Gianlorenzo Blengini as head coach.
    "It is true that we have learned to play good in decisive matches With our previous coach we were losing all important games."




    For me;
    -Biggest surprises ; Slovenia beating Italy, Poland and playing the final !!!!, Bulgaria twice beating Germany so easily ,Estonia's performance
    -Most valuable player ; Urnaut
    -Biggest disapointment (players); Muserskiy :sos: (unrecognizable), Juantorena ( because I lost my last hopes and finally recognize he definitely passed his peak), Kurek ( continue to make mistakes in definitive moments)
    -Biggest disappointment(teams):Poland,Russia, Germany Slovakia ,Serbia
    -Best players; Grebennikov, Urnaut,Ngapeth,Rouzier
    -Best performance (teams) ; Italy against Russia,Slovenia against Italy
    -Best performance (players); Urnaut against Italy, Rouzier against Bulgaria
    -Most critical moments; Blocks on Nikolov, reception mistake of Juantorena against France in the tie-break(11-12)
    -Best match: France vs Italy
    -Heros of the tournament: Andrea Giani , Ngapeth (for his action against Serbia, epic!)
    -Losers of the tournament: Heynen :rolleyes: ,Alekno, Antiga, Grbic
    -Best starting six; Ngapeth,Urnaut,Rouzier, Le Roux, Grebennikov , ?,? (I can't decide the second MB and Setter)


    I

    SLOVENIA! :obey: Giani :heart: This team is really exciting to watch this whole season long and now they're the strongest ever! Congrats, guys, I was keeping my fingers crossed to the end! I would be more than satisfied seeing in the final Bulgaria agaist Slovenia but that's life, I guess. I feel sorry for Bulgarians, again they were so close. I only remembered our game with Bulgaria two years ago on ECH when we were leading 2:0 and then Bulgarians fought back defeating us... So I know the feeling :S Still can't believe this. In first two sets, here they're - mighty Bulgaria with stunning block work. France again proved me - eliminate N'Gapeth and they're cooked. Though I'm pretty much surprised with Rouzier's performance. I bet he was the first one to choke, as almost always in such moments, while he was carrying whole team until the guys woke up. And nah, this is exactly why I don't like N'Gapeth... Awful atmosphere when he's not doing well and still complaining and killing his teammates with his eyes although no one was guilty of his own disastrous perfromance but him :thumbdown:
    As for Bulgaria, pity Vlado had no reliable sub, he was clearly tired after giving a very good performance in first three sets. Still it's a mistery for me why Niki Nikolov didn't play AT ALL. Todorov and Yosifov stopped in some moment, changes were necessary ?( Toshko and Niki - both with an OK performance. I liked libero :thumbup: some defences - AWESOME and work in security zone - generally good. Big words for someone who had Grebennikov vis-a-vis and a figure like Salparov on bench. Btw, in which club exactly Vladislav is playing?


    Hahah and by the way - so awesome to see this polish-slovenian club of fans giving a huge support for Giani's team :thumbsup:


    Now - with all my sympathy for team France but - Slovenia go for it! :box: I really think they can do this, my pink glasses before these semis weren't only literally pink, I believed in them before it became the fact. So, one more step to amaze the world even more :D


    And I DON'T WANT TO SEE FREAKIN' 4TH PLACE, EVER AGAIN!! Хайде, момчета! :box:


    Quote from ossubtus

    what happened to skrimov and sokolov? why aren't they playing here?

    Tsetso missed whole season as he had a surgery because of problems with shoulder and now he's recovering, probably coming back in a very beginning of next year. Skrimov was out of the competition just before Euro started due to an injury as well.