Posts by Ricky89

The volleyball players from Allianz MTV Stuttgart face a huge challenge in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. But sports director Kim Renkema said before the duel with Fenerbahce Istanbul: “I am convinced that we will have our opportunities.”

Ms. Renkema, your team is facing special days. The cup final will take place on March 3rd, followed by the quarter-finals in the Champions League. How big is the anticipation?

It is extremely large. Just because of the first leg of the quarter-finals of the Champions League on Tuesday evening, my heart beats a little faster.

Apparently not just you. The Scharrena is sold out . . .

. . . and we certainly could have sold them out twice for that game against Fenerbahce Istanbul. The interest was huge. On Monday alone we had to cancel hundreds of interested people. It will be a celebration – with an extraordinary atmosphere. Turkish fans are known for being very loud.

And the team for being very strong. Fenerbahce leads the table of the top league in Turkey.

The team is at the absolute top level and is well staffed from the first to the last squad position. And in Melissa Vargas they have an absolutely exceptional player on the team.

The one who was injured last.

But last weekend she was back on the field and introduced. This shows that Fenerbahce really wants them to play against us - which in turn is also an honor for us.

How do you rate your team's renewed push into the top eight teams in Europe?

We haven't achieved this for the first time - and yet for me it is and remains something magical. When you know that the top teams from Turkey, Italy or Poland sometimes have a budget that is five times as big as us, then that is a special achievement.

The Champions League is not lucrative, but it is important

Which is as possible?

By working well over the past few years and always putting our squad together wisely. It was also important that we were able to keep important players like Krystal Rivers, Roosa Koskelo and Maria Segura in Stuttgart for a long time.

What role does the prospect of successful participation in the Champions League play?

This is an important argument for many players - especially since we can't entice players with high salaries. This is why we have become a good address, especially for aspiring players; we can recommend you here for the next big step into one of the top leagues already mentioned. Although the Champions League does not bring us any direct financial gain, it is still very important for our club.

In Germany, there are always big question marks about the economic strength of many volleyball Bundesliga teams. Why can so much more be invested in this sport elsewhere?

To be honest, in some cases I wonder that too. There are some leagues that are financially thriving and it's hard to explain. Greece is one of them, as are Hungary and Ukraine. In countries like Italy or Poland, on the other hand, the sport of volleyball is much more important than in Germany, and companies are happy to invest a lot in the clubs. State funds also play a major role in Turkey. And of course the tax system also helps in some places. For us, gross is not the same as net.

Can the German Bundesliga close the gap a little in the future?

Unfortunately, it will be even more challenging.

Why?

A newly created professional league will start in the USA this year and there will be a lot of money in it. This will ensure that many talents from the colleges do not come to Europe in the first place. And that many who are already playing in Europe are returning to the US - probably up to 70 percent of them. This can already be felt on the transfer market and will have an impact on numerous leagues in Europe. This means our other good players are even more in the focus of Europe's top teams.

Is it even more important to enjoy the next two quarter-final games?

In any case, such a duel is the cherry on the cake for us. And there is actually no guarantee that we will still manage to reach the quarter-finals of the premier class.

And yet it may be that they will not play with the best team in the second leg in Istanbul - because the cup final is in Mannheim a few days later.

Basically, our players are used to playing a game every three or four days. Which is why I'm basically not worried. But one thing is also clear: the cup final is the even more important match. And if we don't have a chance in the first leg, we have to plan the second leg wisely with a view to Mannheim, because the travel strain also comes into play.

Will your team have no chance?

The opponent seems overwhelming, but I am convinced that we will have our opportunities. Especially since even with a team like Fenerbahce the players don't have their best day.

What will it matter?

We have to manage to show our fast game and get the hall behind us. We have to put a lot of pressure on the serve so that a player like Melissa Vargas can't develop to her full potential. Once Fenerbahce's attack gets rolling, it will be difficult for us.

Quote from Gazzetta80

I love this League.🤣

In this league you can do anything. Without consequences

If Stuttgart loses the first leg against Fenerbahce 0-3 or 1-3, Rivers will not fly to Istanbul for the second leg. Rivers will then be rested for the cup final four days later. Other players may also be given a break. The cup final is the top priority

These are the games that will be shown in the intermediate round on Sport1

10.02 SSC Palmberg Schwerin - Dresdner SC

17.02 Allianz MTV Stuttgart - SC Potsdam

24.02 Ladies in Black Aachen - Rote Raben Vilsbiburg,

09.03 SSC Palmberg Schwerin - Allianz MTV Stuttgart

16.03 Dresdner SC - SC Potsdam

https://www.volleyball-bundesl…enrunde/tabelle_1_5.xhtml

https://www.volleyball-bundesl…enrunde/tabelle_6_9.xhtml

This whole intermediate round doesn't make any sense anyway. It was only created so that the teams have more games. Especially between places 1-5, almost nothing will change in 4 games. Stuttgart probably needs to get 12 points to overtake Schwerin for first place. That means they also have to get 3 points in the away game in Schwerin.

Quote from volleySrb

what is point of this, no make sense at all

for example current team number 5 will probably have 4 loses, while current number 6 will have easier job and probably pass them(in theory)

did i miss something?

No! The team in 6th place can no longer finish 5th.

The teams ranked 6-9 play against each other. And the teams ranked 1-5 play against each other. 6-9 and 1-5 have their own table. 6th place can no longer become 5th, and 5th place can no longer become 6th

Next week:

Schwerin-Dresden

Suhl-Stuttgart

And Stuttgart will play against Potsdam again in the Bundesliga in two weeks. This will be the fourth game in two and a half weeks. And two weeks later the cup final will take place. This will be the fifth game within a few weeks.

Quote from SatanClaus

The teams can „rent“ a challenge for their match.

Thank you very much! I didn't know that

Is there now a challenge for non-tv games too? Because in the Dresden-Schwerin game there is a challenge

Quote from Sassy

Potsdam looked like they were having so much fun on court, fighting as a team for a well-deserved win Guncheva's setting is really fun to watch!

So I was reading on the VBL website what's next, can anyone confirm?

- After this round, 1-5 and 6-9 are playing in another pool to make a classification for 1-9. Then there are still QFs/SFs with 8? (I thought perhaps they would skip the QFs and make them into a "Champion-group" and "Relegation-group", where 1-5 would then deliver the semi-finalists)

Completely normal playoffs after the intermediate round as always. 1-8, 2-7, 3-6, 4-5

Potsdam is playing well, no question about it. But Stuttgart is also playing really badly. As if the Stuttgart team had forgotten how to play volleyball. Nothing is working today. It's hard to believe that 48 hours ago Stuttgart won 3-0 against Potsdam.

Playing against Potsdam without Rivers can almost be interpreted as arrogance

Even in Stuttgart, which is one of the richest cities in Germany, there is hardly any support from the city. In East Germany there is still significantly more support for the clubs from the cities. But of course not comparable to countries like Turkey. In addition, there are very high taxes and living costs. And Stuttgart actually has very good sponsors from big companies. But they still only pay what is necessary. And there isn't much more to come. Although the sponsors could easily pay a little more

Quote from Matthias

I don't see how either of these options would be more painful than the current ones. Withdrawal of home rights would mean less money would mean more problems would mean a league with only six teams left in two years. Would that be any better?

I don't want to defend any of the punished teams, just to be clear, but IMO the problem is a systematic one and for now the survival of a competitive league is more important than hard penalties IMO...

Then the VBL should say that straight away: "We cannot punish the clubs because then we will no longer have a Bundesliga in Germany"

But please no alibi punishments

Exclusion from the Supercup, cup or international competitions as well as the withdrawal of home rights!

There would have been options.

Quote from Matthias

Well what would have been a fair verdict in your opinion? I think the fact that the penalty doesn't change the ranking is pure coindicence, in other constellations -6 points could have made a difference between 4th and 8th place...

The VBL knew that this "punishment" would have no impact on the clubs. Nobody has any disadvantage from these clubs now.

Cheating is okay, and approved by the VBL. That's how I see today's verdict

Article in German.

Allianz MTV Stuttgart: Klare Kritik an den Strafen der Volleyball-Bundesliga

Vizemeister SC Potsdam, der VfB Suhl und der VC Wiesbaden kommen nach ihren Lizenzverstößen mit Punktabzügen davon, die nicht weh tun. Allianz MTV Stuttgart zweifelt deshalb das Lizenzierungsverfahren an.

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.“

Quote from Matthias

That's not a good move by Kästner IMO Any clue who will replace her in Schwerin?

And that's why we never need to talk about a foreigner quota in Germany. When even a club like Schwerin can't keep a player like Kästner.

Strange business practices in volleyball

Proceedings for tax evasion are underway against runner-up SC Potsdam, while at the same time the public sector is helping Allianz MTV Stuttgart's Champions League opponent to plug a financing hole. There is criticism from competitors for this.

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.”