CEV Men’s European Championship 2019 - hosts France, Slovenia, Belgium and the Netherlands

  • Yes, but actually I meant that group D is moving from 16k capacity hall to 2,5k... and I'm asking WHY? They don't want to earn money on Polish supporters.

    Ah, I see. Yeah, that doesn't make a lot of sense.

  • As probably the only one here who enjoys the tournament and has watched all participating teams, let me just give you a piece of statistics which I am sure you have completely ignored. North Macedonia's MB Filip Madjunkov had a spectacular, if the stats sheet provided by CEV is accurate (I couldn't watch that specific match), serving performance against Russia. North Macedonia matched Russia's 14 aces and Madjunkov is said to have served 11 aces himself! Out of 13 total attempts and without errors! This must be some kind of a new record for serve efficiency.


    And now I am sure I am the only non-Portuguese and non-Greek watching the battle for the 4th place in Pool A ;)

  • As probably the only one here who enjoys the tournament and has watched all participating teams, let me just give you a piece of statistics which I am sure you have completely ignored. North Macedonia's MB Filip Madjunkov had a spectacular, if the stats sheet provided by CEV is accurate (I couldn't watch that specific match), serving performance against Russia. North Macedonia matched Russia's 14 aces and Madjunkov is said to have served 11 aces himself! Out of 13 total attempts and without errors! This must be some kind of a new record for serve efficiency.


    And now I am sure I am the only non-Portuguese and non-Greek watching the battle for the 4th place in Pool A ;)

    Yeah I saw that stat too, but then I thought it can't be right because in the match vs Belarus he was often subbed when it was his time to serve :D

    Oh, I'm also watching GRE-POR, but only cuz I'm betting

  • I'm sure expanding in the important tv market of Macedonia was worth this somehow :wall:

    Why is Macedonia any less important than the rest of Europe? And if you care about diversity, switch to their match right now and see for yourself what the expansion could sometimes do.


    Bulgaria lost a similar set to France, Germany got thrashed similarly to Serbia, but none of you mentioned it. A lot of teams could lose 10-25 to Poland right now.

  • Is Slovenia playing their best team? I find this result difficult to believe.

    Of course they are. You find it difficult to believe (not you personally, all the users combined who have been constantly complaining the past few days) because you rarely watch anything else than Italy, Poland, and Russia. I am sure most of you don't even know players from the smaller teams. Yes, they are not all amazing, yet Macedonia, for instance, is a very solid, mid-class European team that needed time to show their best volleyball at the Euro. A solid level they had demonstrated over the years. It doesn't matter if they get the job done now, the fact that we're discussing them with you means the expansion isn't only bad and teams like Macedonia have fulfilled their participation. Similar is the case with Montenegro, Ukraine, yesterday's Belarussian comeback against Estonia, etc. Of course, there are exceptions and weaker teams, you can't go without them. But then, there are some other decent teams like Croatia and Sweden that didn't make it.


    A few boring sets and matches is a reasonable price to pay, in my opinion, to watch the gap narrows between Europe's top 5-6 teams and the rest. Sure, some may find it less exciting, I understand completely.

  • I mean, of course I don't know anything about them but they had lost rather soundly to the other good teams from this pool (though they had an interesting close set with Russia). That's why I'm surprised by this spike in performance against the 2nd best team.

  • I just would like to highlight that the team which got trashed 10-25 by Poland was not (North) Macedonia. It was Montenegro.

    So far, North Macedonia isnt doing such a bad campaign.

  • I guess these matches are the price to pay to see new teams growing and developing. I'm not against it per se, just saying the calendar is getting more and more ridiculous as a side effect. There's got to be a better way, and that was the World League before it was destroyed and turned into a joke with stupid music jingles and eye-cancer graphics.

  • i was watching austria x Spain. A good game. Both teams are out of next phase but it was a fun game.


    I am surprised with the result of slovenia. I did not expect that

  • Bulgaria will definitely add some extra spice to the OQT. I wouldn't bet on the final being Serbia-France.

    Unfortunately, apart from some extra spice, Bulgaria cannot offer much more. I don't see any other team preventing those two from meeting in the final.


    Macedonia 3-1 Slovenia


    At least some poeple will learn the difference between Montenegro and Macedonia lol

    I know, right? It's hard to argue when people can't even tell one country from another :D


    Macedonia's win makes the situation in Pool C rather interesting. I doubt Russia will let go of the first place (will they play fair against the hosts?), Slovenia's second place and their home crowd advantage in the last 16 is under threat, though. There's a high chance Turkey takes it (they are 2-0 against Belarus as I write). And the runner-up in A might meet Slovenia in Montpellier instead of Turkey/Finland. Also, Macedonia will follow tomorrow's matches closely but they have every chance of earning a historic elimination berth.

  • Unfortunately, apart from some extra spice, Bulgaria cannot offer much more. I don't see any other team preventing those two from meeting in the final.

    Normally I would agree with you, but the Olympic qualifications have always been strange and somehow unpredictable. Germany eliminated Cuba in 2012, almost eliminated Poland in 2016 (match point on 5th set). Spain almost eliminated Serbia (forgot the year but you should know what I'm talking about, like more than 10 years ago), Thailand was robbed several times against teams on paper a magnitude superior to them...


    Can Bulgaria win the entire OQT? Maybe not. Can they beat and eliminate at least one between Serbia or France? Absolutely, yes. If they don't implode like against Brazil, that's it.

  • Normally I would agree with you, but the Olympic qualifications have always been strange and somehow unpredictable. Germany eliminated Cuba in 2012, almost eliminated Poland in 2016 (match point on 5th set). Spain almost eliminated Serbia (forgot the year but you should know what I'm talking about, like more than 10 years ago), Thailand was robbed several times against teams on paper a magnitude superior to them...


    Can Bulgaria win the entire OQT? Maybe not. Can they beat and eliminate at least one between Serbia or France? Absolutely, yes. If they don't implode like against Brazil, that's it.

    It is true that OQTs are often strange, especially those played mid club season, but France have been so consistent in the last few years, that I can't see them losing to Bulgaria. IMO, the only one with the potential of beating France is Serbia.

    Serbia however can definitely be beaten by Bulgaria (or even the likes of Belgium and Germany).

  • Unfortunately, apart from some extra spice, Bulgaria cannot offer much more. I don't see any other team preventing those two from meeting in the final.


    I know, right? It's hard to argue when people can't even tell one country from another :D


    Macedonia's win makes the situation in Pool C rather interesting. I doubt Russia will let go of the first place (will they play fair against the hosts?), Slovenia's second place and their home crowd advantage in the last 16 is under threat, though. There's a high chance Turkey takes it (they are 2-0 against Belarus as I write). And the runner-up in A might meet Slovenia in Montpellier instead of Turkey/Finland. Also, Macedonia will follow tomorrow's matches closely but they have every chance of earning a historic elimination berth.

    I am 90% sure that that match would still be played in Slovenia, like it was in the women's tournament.

    There is even a small chance that the draw dictates that Slovenia plays France in the 1/8 finals, and apparently two hosts can't meet before the QF (or even SF?), which would lead to some teams switching places in the draw.

    It's a proper mess, I know :D