2020 Olympic Games - qualification

    Yes, and it will create as usual a real qualification hell for European teams, with likely either Netherlands or Italy and additionally Turkey, Germany and likely Belgium, Bulgaria and Poland in the final continental/European qualification tournament with just one Olympic berth at stage. Especially the South American and the African qualifier will be a joke, with Brazil already qualified before... for me most likely from Europe alongside with Serbia and Russia also Italy and Netherlands will qualify, while Turkey and Germany are likely to be excluded again... only four European teams than (1/3 = 33%), under the world ranking percentage (count first 12 places in world ranking European teams have currently 5 (i.e. 42%) teams).

    As always people will complain about the best teams not playing. And I always have to remind people that the Olympics require 1 spot each per continent in all sports. Let alone only 12 teams, 1 being the hosts, so 11 spots is dropped quickly to 6.

    We can complain that there are too few teams but the IOC is not going to expand this tournament.

    Yes teams will be screwed and really the continental qualifiers should go first. This would then allow a different view of the 24 teams for the remaining 6 spots.

    Agree, as long as continental tournaments won't be played before world qualification, we will never watch all the top teams in Olympics. Argentina or Venezuela will be in Olympics instead of turkey/Netherlands because of this system😡

    this is true. By playing the intercontinental tournaments first, the system creates more opportunities to teams from Asia/Norceca/South America, why? because China, USA and Brazil will likely get qualified in the intercontinental phase, leaving one spot in their confederations, so in Asia will be Korea or Thailand, in Norceca will be Dominican Rep. and in South America will be Argentina/Colombia.

    On the other side, China, USA and Brazil are historically super power teams in this sport and somehow this makes impossible for the other teams in their confederations to get an olympic ticket.

    12-woman limit makes teams take crazy decisions. BRA in 2008 had 4 MBs (so no OPP backup, but it was ok because they had 2 OH backups that could be used as OPP). even crazier, karch brought 3 setters to rio...


    usually teams have only one libero, and no backup.

    The lates news regarding the Group I of qualification is that after FIVB asked Poland to organize it, a new offer from "neutral" country came in. Poland still is interested but maybe they will give it to this country. I assume that it is someone like Qatar.

    Quote from ossubtus

    12-woman limit makes teams take crazy decisions. BRA in 2008 had 4 MBs (so no OPP backup, but it was ok because they had 2 OH backups that could be used as OPP). even crazier, karch brought 3 setters to rio...


    usually teams have only one libero, and no backup.

    Although Valeskinha is mainly MB, she played that season as OH in Italy, that's why she went to Beijing -mainly due to her passing skills. She comes from a time when there was no libero and MBs would play in the back row.

    Latests news claim that Group I with Serbia, Thailand, Puerto Rico and Poland will be hosted either by Poland, Serbia or...Switzerland. There are rumours that FIVB doesn't want to give it to Serbia because they don't like Boricic (CEV president). Switzerland become interested because they can't find date for Montreux Volley Masters and in this way they will be able to do it at this date, however then only 4 teams will participate? :whistle:

    Quote from bobaas

    Latests news claim that Group I with Serbia, Thailand, Puerto Rico and Poland will be hosted either by Poland, Serbia or...Switzerland. There are rumours that FIVB doesn't want to give it to Serbia because they don't like Boricic (CEV president). Switzerland become interested because they can't find date for Montreux Volley Masters and in this way they will be able to do it at this date, however then only 4 teams will participate? :whistle:

    LMAO. So MVM got screwed by FIVB:D

    I've read that the Montreux Volley Masters is scheduled in mid-May this year. It was an article on the swiss federation site which mentioned that the Swiss NT will play two tournaments before the ECH: Montreux and the Universiade.

    News about Team China. Yan Ni maybe retire this year and new MB will show in National Team.But Yuan is not at a good level.Middle Bloker will be a important problem for China

    So the richest federation took two tournaments (Poland, Italy, China, Russia) and maybe Bulgaria will take another one? Thats strange that NED hosts mens tournament instead of womens. I also thought that AZE may be hosting their pool, but as someone said before they are CEV's pupils, not FIVB