SC Potsdam is in the Volleyball Champions League
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The surprise of Europe
SC Potsdam’s volleyball gamers have been profitable once more this season and induced a giant surprise, particularly at the worldwide stage. Now they’ve a chance in the Champions League that nobody anticipated.
“It was completely loopy,” SC Potsdam coach Guillermo Hernandez remembers of one in all the largest victories in the membership’s historical past two weeks in the past. Underdogs Brandenburg, who began their first Champions League season with little ambition, shocked the reigning champions in a tie-break in Istanbul. It was one other excessive level in a unending success story.
Luck got here with Hernandez
Hernandez has been the coach at Potsdam since 2018 and has spearheaded the membership’s outstanding rise, which culminated in a primary title final yr – profitable the Super Cup – and a second championship. Managers and consultants imagine that teaching is the most vital key to success. The Spaniard himself is considerably reserved: “Others who say this should even be judged. What distinguishes me is that I contain the folks round me in the membership as a lot as potential. In many different golf equipment, coaches need an excessive amount of management. and don’t delegate something. Everyone is a crucial a part of the course of for us.”
He additionally managed to draw one or the different worldwide participant to Potsdam. In addition to his Bundesliga commitments, Hernandez is the nationwide coach of Greece. “That’s why I’ve numerous information about worldwide volleyball and an excellent community. I spend numerous time the market and gamers,” he says. For instance, he noticed the highly effective diagonal ahead Anette Nemeth for the first time in a pleasant match in opposition to Greece. Today he’s one in all the greatest performers of SCP.
Thus, Hernández has now assembled a robust crew that’s always evolving and in concord with one another. “The core of the crew has been the identical for 2 years. This is our huge benefit over different groups,” the coach believes.
The surprise crew of the Champions League
The course of appears to be paying off once more this season. They are scorching on the heels of leaders Stuttgart in the Bundesliga, with a cup remaining in opposition to Schwerin on February 26 and an incredible probability for the title with it. But, to begin with, the newcomers in the European competitors are most likely the present crew. “Before the season, we stated to ourselves: Our purpose needs to be to complete third in the group. We virtually achieved that,” says sports activities director Tony Rieger. Third, they’ll play internationally after the group stage and qualify for the second-tier CEV Cup.
However, with a surprise win in opposition to Istanbul and a earlier win in opposition to Belgrade, there may very well be extra to return as Italian giants Igor Gorgonzola Novara transfer simply 5 factors away from third-placed Potsdam. When each groups meet and win on Tuesday (19:30), SCP will abruptly style second place and stay in the Champions League. “This time we’ve got to serve higher and be constant in block and discipline protection,” Rieger analyzed the 1-3 loss in the first recreation.
On the eve of the recreation, however with success, the incontrovertible fact that the whole lot can proceed in the European premier class just isn’t an issue for the crew. “It creates stress. We need to play the recreation like everybody else. Of course, if we win, there’s a probability. But anyway, we’ve got to win the final recreation in opposition to Belgrade. So we cannot discuss it but,” stated coach Hernandez.
We are wanting ahead to the remaining of the group stage
In reality, his crew wanted to win each of their remaining two video games in the group stage to remain in competition, hoping for 2 Italian losses. If they have been to lose in opposition to Novara, they might nonetheless want a win in their remaining recreation in opposition to Crvena Zvezda Belgrade to realize their CEV Cup goal set by sporting director Rieger with out slipping to final place. The rigidity in the group stage remaining at Potsdam’s MBS Arena on February 8 couldn’t have been larger.
The Potsdam girls narrowly gained their first match in Serbia in a tie-break in early January. It was their first Champions League win in the membership’s historical past. For coach Hernández, the anticipation for the second leg, which is essential in entrance of the followers, is large and he’s anticipating a full home: “It can be nice. I feel we’re breaking all attendance data for a really small membership. We know this fixed help, you normally see huge groups and it is essential for us.”
More than 2,000 spectators got here to the sold-out MBS Arena in the Bundesliga recreation in opposition to Schwerin. He needs to be match once more in the vital recreation in opposition to Belgrade. Perhaps many followers will witness SC Potsdam’s subsequent surprise success and progress to the subsequent spherical of the Champions League.
Message: rbb24, 30.01.2023, 21:45