The biggest surprise here is lack of Ignaczak
.
I have a theory. AA probably wants to compare Zatorski and Wojtaszek. I'm a bit sad for Igła and yet thrilled at the same time 
I absolutely adore Damian and his style - he's a true defence wizard, which is a quality I value most in a libero. I would love him to be a starter one day.
Slovak wide roster for ECH: (in italic players only for training, they are on reserve list)
Setters: Michal Masný, Juraj Zaťko, Filip Palgut*
Middle Blockers: Emanuel Kohút, Tomáš Kmeť, Jozef Piovarči, Peter Kašper, Michal Hruška
Outside Hitters: František Ogurčák, Štefan Chrtiansky ml., Matej Paták, Filip Gavenda, Juraj Drobňák*, Tomáš Halanda*
Opposites: Martin Nemec, Milan Bencz, Peter Michalovič
Liberos: Robert Hupka, Roman Ondrušek, Matej Kubš*
I have a theory. AA probably wants to compare Zatorski and Wojtaszek. I'm a bit sad for Igła and yet thrilled at the same time
Totally. The only one that can ever replace Igła. Can't believe I said that but I feel so. Really. Deep down when I stop crying for a moment.
And well it's time to deal with it that Igła won't play forever. I would give a kingdom or go fishing all day and night to catch a gold fish to just ask for a few more extra years for him. So he can play as long as it's only possible. It was a tough news for me yesterday. Crushed me like an elephant crushed an ant. I have less than two months to get used to this new team without such an important piece of its heart.
Hopefully, we will see Wojtaszek on the court. Not only sitting on the audience.
Bulgarian squad:
setters: Georgi Bratoev, Dobromir Dimitrov, Georgi Manchev
receivers: Todor Aleksiev, Todor Skrimov, Nikolay Penchev, Valentin Bratoev, Aleksandar Simeonov
middles: Teodor Todorov, Nikolay Nikolov, Viktor Yosifov, Svetoslav Gotsev
diagonals: Tsvetan Sokolov, Danail Milushev
liberos: Teodor Salparov, Martin Bozhilov
Bulgarian squad:
setters: Georgi Bratoev, Dobromir Dimitrov, Georgi Manchev
receivers: Todor Aleksiev, Todor Skrimov, Nikolay Penchev, Valentin Bratoev, Aleksandar Simeonov
middles: Teodor Todorov, Nikolay Nikolov, Viktor Yosifov, Svetoslav Gotsev
diagonals: Tsvetan Sokolov, Danail Milushev
liberos: Teodor Salparov, Martin Bozhilov
Todorv and Nikolov are back comparing with WL there is no Miroslav Gradinarov (OH), Stoyan Samunev (MB) and Borislav Apostolov (MB)
Slovak wide roster for ECH: (in italic players only for training, they are on reserve list)
Setters: Michal Masný, Juraj Zaťko, Filip Palgut*
Middle Blockers: Emanuel Kohút, Tomáš Kmeť, Jozef Piovarči, Peter Kašper, Michal Hruška
Outside Hitters: František Ogurčák, Štefan Chrtiansky ml., Matej Paták, Filip Gavenda, Juraj Drobňák*, Tomáš Halanda*
Opposites: Martin Nemec, Milan Bencz, Peter Michalovič
Liberos: Robert Hupka, Roman Ondrušek, Matej Kubš*
Even out of shape, Branislav Skladany is a way better setter than Zatko. It's another story if he declined a NT participation this year, I don't have information about it. What about Martin Sopko and Lukas Divis? Is Divis injured?
Even out of shape, Branislav Skladany is a way better setter than Zatko. It's another story if he declined a NT participation this year, I don't have information about it. What about Martin Sopko and Lukas Divis? Is Divis injured?
Divis didn't come back to good shape after injury, about Skladany I don't know why he wasn't called.
Bulgarian squad:
setters: Georgi Bratoev, Dobromir Dimitrov, Georgi Manchev
receivers: Todor Aleksiev, Todor Skrimov, Nikolay Penchev, Valentin Bratoev, Aleksandar Simeonov
middles: Teodor Todorov, Nikolay Nikolov, Viktor Yosifov, Svetoslav Gotsev
diagonals: Tsvetan Sokolov, Danail Milushev
liberos: Teodor Salparov, Martin Bozhilov
MB line looks very solid now. But receivers are again shaky at best :(. Hope that Sokolov finds his serve now, he had enough training during the last competition.
How's the condition of Metodi Ananiev? In Bulgaria, he's a relatively balanced OH, but seldom got a chance to play in major tournaments perhaps because of injury?
How's the condition of Metodi Ananiev? In Bulgaria, he's a relatively balanced OH, but seldom got a chance to play in major tournaments perhaps because of injury?
He hasn't played more or less for 2 years now even on club level. I don't even know where will he play from next season, but nevertheless he is not in shape for the NT now.
P.S. Ananiev will pay in Rennes in France next year.
Slovak wide roster for ECH: (in italic players only for training, they are on reserve list)
Setters: Michal Masný, Juraj Zaťko, Filip Palgut*
Middle Blockers: Emanuel Kohút, Tomáš Kmeť, Jozef Piovarči, Peter Kašper, Michal Hruška
Outside Hitters: František Ogurčák, Štefan Chrtiansky ml., Matej Paták, Filip Gavenda, Juraj Drobňák*, Tomáš Halanda*
Opposites: Martin Nemec, Milan Bencz, Peter Michalovič
Liberos: Robert Hupka, Roman Ondrušek, Matej Kubš*
From Slovak roster out is MB Jozef Piovarči.
French squad:
Setters: Toniutti (Ravenna), Redwitz (Montpellier)
OPP: Moreau (Cannes) Rouzier (Cuneo), Sidibé (Lubjlana)
OH's: N'Gapeth (Kemerovo), Marechal (Jastrzębie-Zdrój), Lyneel (Montpellier), Tillie (Ravenna)
MB's: Le Roux (Piacenza), Hardy-Dessources (Tours), Le Goff (Montpellier), Lafitte (Montpellier), Aguenier (Nantes)
Libero: Exiga (Tours), Grebennikov (Friedrichshafen)
French squad:
Setters: Toniutti (Ravenna), Redwitz (Montpellier)
OPP: Moreau (Cannes), Rouzier (Cuneo), Sidibé (Lubjlana)
OH's: N'Gapeth (Kemerovo), Marechal (Jastrzębie-Zdrój), Lyneel (Montpellier), Tillie (Ravenna)
MB's: Le Roux (Piacenza), Hardy-Dessources (Tours), Le Goff (Montpellier), Lafitte (Montpellier), Aguenier (Nantes)
Libero: Exiga (Tours), Grebennikov (Friedrichshafen)
Exiga and Rouzier are back Tuia, Quesque and Pujol are out. I don't know MBs Franck Lafitte and Jonas Aguenier more.
I'm quite surprised to see Jonas Aguenier on this list, even if this is wider roster. He was 3rd MB in Nantes, Fernandez and Holubec were starters so he played a little. OK, he is quite young (21 years) but still it's a big surprise. Also Tuia deserves place in NT, he had much better season than Marechal or Lyneel, Tillie was playing in NCAA...so Tuia played the hardest matches through season. Maybe he is injured. Franck Laffite was part of French NT 2 years ago but then he have had serious injury (broken leg I think) and paused almost entire 2011/2012 season.
About Exiga and Rouzier I can say it's expected.
German wide roster for Euro Volley:
Setters: Patrick Steuerwald, Simon Tischer, Lukas Kampa
Middle Blockers: Marcus Böhme, Tim Broshog, Philipp Collin, Felix Fischer, Lukas Bauer
Outside Hitters: Dirk Westphal, Denis Kaliberda, Sebastian Schwarz, Christian Fromm, Tom Strohbach, Björn Höhne
Opposites: Gyorgy Grozer, Jochen Schöps, Simon Hirsch
Liberos: Markus Steuerwald, Ferdinand Tille
Grozer, Schwarz, Tischer and Bauer are back. Robert Kromm, Christian Dünnes and Max Günthör aren't in team.
Bulgaria, Russia, Poland, Germany and France in one stream, yeah, another ruined competition
Bulgaria, Russia, Poland, Germany and France in one stream, yeah, another ruined competition
Russia is going to be happy and relaxed after the WL. Poland looked poor. Germany... I don't know if Grozer is able to play with his shoulder. France has no opposite. Yet another clear chance for Bulgaria!
Russia is going to be happy and relaxed after the WL. Poland looked poor. Germany... I don't know if Grozer is able to play with his shoulder. France has no opposite. Yet another clear chance for Bulgaria!
Russia is unbeatable before the semifinal in ECH no matter what squad they have, Poland is host, France are the team of defense /you saw them against Brazil/ Clear chance or not, it is wrong to set up such draws. I've never seen so unbalanced groups in other sports outside of volleyball, because they follow rules there, like in football for example. In volleyball is every f**g competition. Teams like Bulgaria need a little luck in one competition to break in the elite group, but with such schemes there can't be luck. When you add multiple games in which the one team played to lose /Brazil, Italy, Argentina, Poland/ and you get ever decreasing chances to get what you deserve. /This is not to apologize our team for not being brave enough, of course/
Italy doesn't have any difficult match before the semifinals.Their draw is so ridiculous that it will be a suprise if they lose any set .It must be most one-sided draw ever. Can it be explained by just one extremely lucky draw ?
How's the draw determined? I recall that the European Championship is always highly unbalanced between the two halves.