Schedule for the intermediate round
Group A
(1+7.2 CL S-P)
10./11.02. 5-2 1-Dresden
17./18.02. 2-4 Dresden-5
(21.2 CL QF either S or P)
24./25.02. 4-1 2-Dresden
(28.2 CL QF away game @Fener, 3.3. cup final S-P)
09./10.03. 4-5 1-2
16./17.03. Dresden-4 5-1
Group B
(1.+7.2 Challenge Cup Wiesbaden-Novara)
10./11.02. Wiesbaden - 7, 8 - 9
14.02. 8 - Wiesbaden , 9 - 7
17./18.02. Wiesbaden - 9, 7 - 8
24./25.02. 7 - Wiesbaden, 9 - 8
09./10.03. Wiesbaden - 8, 7 - 9
16./17.03. 9 - Wiesbaden, 8 - 7
The cup final will not be on Sport1. Darts and women's handball are on the channel that day. However, I don't know whether the final will be available to watch freely over the Internet.
The cup final will not be on Sport1. Darts and women's handball are on the channel that day. However, I don't know whether the final will be available to watch freely over the Internet.
Darts? 
Darts?
Is much more popular in Germany than volleyball
Is much more popular in Germany than volleyball
no judging 
The cup final will not be on Sport1. Darts and women's handball are on the channel that day. However, I don't know whether the final will be available to watch freely over the Internet.
Do you have a source for that? I don't want to speculate unnecessarily in the dark with my statements.
That's actually a little strange for me. But what's just as strange to me is that the times of the games haven't been scheduled yet. Or do you as a cardholder already have other or more informations?
That's actually a little strange for me. But what's just as strange to me is that the times of the games haven't been scheduled yet. Or do you as a cardholder already have other or more informations?
No, I don't know anything either.
Quote"Das Finale der Männer beginnt um ca. 13.30 Uhr, das Match der Frauen folgt im Anschluss und beginnt um ca. 16.15 Uhr (Änderungen vorbehalten)."
The plan was to play at 16:15. "subject to change"
Helena Dornheim asked to be released from her contract with Aachen. She didn't get any playing time lately so I wonder if she'll play somewhere else or just quit playing 
Carla Fuchs and Amelie Strothoff from Neuwied join Münster, but they'll play mainly for their 2nd league team.
Helena Dornheim asked to be released from her contract with Aachen. She didn't get any playing time lately so I wonder if she'll play somewhere else or just quit playing
I hope she doesn't quit, but I don't see any team in the league where she would get more playing time.
Vilsbiburg ist the only team coming to my mind who could definitely use an OH but I assume they would prefer their youngster from their second team for playing time. I could only see them signing someone more experienced
Is that still attractive? In the next four weeks there will be five games between the volleyball players from Allianz MTV Stuttgart and SC Potsdam - twice in the Champions League, twice in the Bundesliga and in the cup final. And there may be another three to five duels in the play-offs for the championship in April. “At some point,” says SCP creator Eugen Benzel, “it could get boring.” But that’s only one side of the coin. Until recently it was questionable whether SC Potsdam would even be able to finish the season. That should now be certain, but the competition continues to look at the business conduct of the runner-up with suspicion.
Because clubs have repeatedly failed due to financial challenges in recent years, this time the Bundesliga played its main round with only ten teams (nine remain for the intermediate round after the insolvency of VC Neuwied). The concern was all the greater when three other clubs ran into turbulence in the summer of 2023: VC Wiesbaden, Dresdner SC and SC Potsdam. The problems in Brandenburg were undoubtedly the greatest - and still are.
The city of Potsdam steps in
After a voluntary disclosure, it became known that SC Potsdam had allegedly illegally structured contracts with carers in order to save on wage taxes and social security contributions. Since then, public prosecutors and tax authorities have been investigating. According to a report commissioned by the association, there is a risk of an additional payment of up to 900,000 euros, and those responsible may have to answer for tax evasion. According to Eugen Benzel, the managing director of the new gaming company founded in mid-2023, it would not be affected by any penalties for past misconduct. But she has other worries.
Since all contracts were redrafted in the summer in a legally compliant manner, a financing gap of 350,000 euros arose due to the now correct tax and social security burden. The Volleyball Bundesliga (VBL) granted a deadline of January 25th for improvements and was not happy when an unexpected dynamic came into play at the end - because the SCP put the city of Potsdam under pressure shortly before it expired. Motto: either there is immediate support or the largest club in Brandenburg (more than 5,300 members) has to withdraw its volleyball players and possibly declare bankruptcy itself. The cry for help was heard. SC Potsdam will now receive a one-off 225,000 euros from the municipal utilities (75,000 euros), the municipal waste disposal, the city's own real estate developer Pro Potsdam and the municipal real estate service (50,000 euros each). The club has to contribute the rest itself. “SC Potsdam has one or two additional deliveries to make by Thursday,” says VBL managing director Daniel Sattler, “I hope that it doesn’t disappoint us – then the current season is secured.” But at what cost?
Criticism of the rescue by politics
Economically sound competitors such as Allianz MTV Stuttgart or SSC Schwerin have had the uneasy feeling since the summer that they have lost one or two crucial games against a club that had put together a team that they actually couldn't afford. And now this club is also getting away with its demand for aid from the public sector. “We volleyball Bundesliga teams are commercial enterprises. Anyone who mismanages should not be saved by politics,” says Michael Evers, managing director of SSC Schwerin. And colleague Aurel Irion from Allianz MTV Stuttgart explains: “You shake your head when you realize that something like this is possible. That wouldn't work in the city of Stuttgart or in the state of Württemberg - and rightly so. Using tax money like that is very foreign to me.”
They are clear words. Especially because the Bundesliga cannot afford to lose another team. This Friday, the VBL will announce the sanctions it is imposing on SC Potsdam for deception in wage tax and social security contributions. “We don’t want to choose the sharpest sword of license revocation,” says Daniel Sattler, “but we feel very committed to clubs like Allianz MTV Stuttgart or SSC Schwerin. We will be as consistent as we can.” Aurel Irion supports this: “There are rules that everyone has to adhere to. If someone breaks the rules, the VBL has to take a clear stance. Anything else would be a declaration of bankruptcy for the licensing process.”
SC Potsdam is fighting for its place in the Bundesliga
What happens next season? With SC Potsdam, Eugen Benzel is pretty sure. “We will have to make savings. We are currently simulating scenarios of what we can still afford and trying to find a big sponsor,” says the managing director. “It is our ultimate goal to continue playing in the Bundesliga.”
The competition would have nothing against an honest SC Potsdam in their ranks. On the contrary. Because Michael Evers fears that it may not only be the SCP that is trying (or has) to save taxes and social security contributions in questionable ways. “I can imagine that there are similar business models elsewhere,” says the head of SSC Schwerin, “I wouldn’t bet any money on the fact that this only happens in Potsdam.”
Unusual injury news: Wiesbaden's coach Benedikt Frank tore his patella tendon in the team training yesterday and had surgery today 
It means he'll be away from the sideline for a while I guess...
Transfer window closes today and no new players were registered on VBL site, which probably means Suhl couldn't find another OPP after the escape of Ndiaye, Vilsbiburg didn't sign another OH and apart from Fuchs, Strothoff, Berger, Broekstra and vom Schemm the Neuwied players didn't find new teams, at least not in Germany.
Also Grbavica still isn't on Dresden's roster so she definitely won't be back on court this season 
Transfer window closes today and no new players were registered on VBL site, which probably means Suhl couldn't find another OPP after the escape of Ndiaye, Vilsbiburg didn't sign another OH and apart from Fuchs, Strothoff, Berger, Broekstra and vom Schemm the Neuwied players didn't find new teams, at least not in Germany.
Also Grbavica still isn't on Dresden's roster so she definitely won't be back on court this season
sheesh that's two full seasons that she hasn't played, right? I mean she started some games last season, but not much
sheesh that's two full seasons that she hasn't played, right? I mean she started some games last season, but not much
One and a half. She tore her ACL in January 2023.
Today the timing of the cup final was announced and also the broadcast. In contrast to last year, this time the women's final will take place first and start at 1:30 p.m. While the men's final is scheduled to begin at 4:15 p.m.
The game won't be on TV on Sport1, but an even better variant could be found. The SWR will broadcast the game live and it will also be offered as a live stream on the Internet by SWR and Sportschau. So I have to say this is great news for women's volleyball.
Link: Das DVV-Pokalfinale live im Free-TV und Stream – Startzeiten beider Finalspiele stehen fest
Sportlich lief es nicht optimal für den SC Potsdam. Drei Satzbälle vergaben die Volleyballerinnen bei der 0:3-Niederlage (18:25,25:27,19:25) am Donnerstag im zweiten Durchgang, Allianz MTV Stuttgart hat vor dem Rückspiel am Mittwoch in Potsdam beste Chancen, den Einzug ins Viertelfinale der Champions League zu schaffen. Umso besser ging es für den Vizemeister am Tag danach aus.
Gegen den SC Potsdam läuft seit Sommer 2023 ein Ermittlungsverfahren von Staatsanwaltschaft und Finanzbehörden. Dem Club wird vorgeworfen, bei der Anstellung von Betreuern Steuern und Sozialabgaben hinterzogen zu haben. Danach wurden die Verträge rechtskonform neu aufgesetzt, woraufhin sich für die laufende Saison ein Finanzloch von 350 000 Euro auftat, das mittlerweile auch dank Hilfe der öffentlichen Hand gestopft worden ist. Wie das Ermittlungsverfahren ausgeht, ist offen, die Volleyball-Bundesliga (VBL) aber hat das Geschäftsgebaren des SC Potsdam bereits jetzt sanktioniert.
Zum einen wurde eine Geldstrafe ausgesprochen, zu deren Höhe sich die VBL nicht äußert. In der Tabelle der Bundesliga-Hauptrunde (an diesem Samstag gastiert der SCP am letzten Spieltag erneut in Stuttgart) werden dem auf Rang vier liegenden Vizemeister zudem sechs Punkte abgezogen. Weil allerdings auch der fünftplatzierte VfB Suhl (sechs Punkte Abzug) und der sechstplatzierte VC Wiesbaden (drei Punkte Abzug) gegen die Lizenzierungsbestimmungen verstoßen haben, ändert sich an der Ausgangslage vor dem Beginn der Bundesliga-Zwischenrunde faktisch nichts. Was Aurel Irion ziemlich ratlos zurücklässt.
Der Geschäftsführer von Allianz MTV Stuttgart hatte harte Strafen für die Clubs gefordert, die sich nicht an die Regeln halten, ansonsten sei dies eine „Bankrotterklärung für das Lizenzierungsverfahren“. Und nun? „Beim Blick auf die Tabelle zeigt sich, dass es jetzt so ist, als wären überhaupt keine Sanktionen ausgesprochen worden“, erklärt Irion, „wenn es nach derartigen Vergehen keine Strafe gibt, die weh tut, sehe ich im gesamten Lizenzierungsverfahren keinen Sinn mehr.“
Die VBL rechtfertigt ihren Urteilsspruch auch damit, zu wenig Sanktionierungsmöglichkeiten gehabt zu haben. Sie kündigte an, den temporären Ausschluss vom Supercup, Pokal oder von internationalen Wettbewerben sowie den Entzug des Heimrechts in den künftigen Strafenkatalog aufnehmen zu wollen. Aus Sicht von Aurel Irion kommen derartige Überlegungen zu spät: „Man kann sich ein Lizenzierungsverfahren doch nicht genau so hinbiegen, wie man es gerne hätte.“