SC Potsdam is in the Volleyball Champions League
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The surprise of Europe
SC Potsdam’s volleyball gamers had been profitable once more this season and brought about an enormous surprise, particularly at the worldwide degree. Now they’ve a chance in the Champions League that nobody anticipated.
“It was completely loopy,” SC Potsdam coach Guillermo Hernandez recollects of one among the greatest 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 endless 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 – successful the Super Cup – and a second championship. Managers and specialists consider that teaching is the most necessary 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 individuals round me in the membership as a lot as doable. In many different golf equipment, coaches need an excessive amount of management. and don’t delegate something. Everyone is a vital 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 a variety of information about worldwide volleyball and an excellent community. I spend a variety of time taking a look at 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 towards Greece. Today he’s one among the greatest performers of SCP.
Thus, Hernández has now assembled a powerful workforce that’s continually evolving and in concord with one another. “The core of the workforce has been the identical for 2 years. This is our large benefit over different groups,” the coach believes.
The surprise workforce 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 ultimate towards Schwerin on February 26 and an incredible likelihood for the title with it. But, to start with, the newcomers in the European competitors are in all probability the present workforce. “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 towards Istanbul and a earlier win towards Belgrade, there could possibly 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 all of the sudden style second place and stay in the Champions League. “This time we have now to serve higher and be constant in block and area protection,” Rieger analyzed the 1-3 loss in the first sport.
On the eve of the sport, however with success, the proven fact that all the things can proceed in the European premier class just isn’t an issue for the workforce. “It creates stress. We wish to play the sport like everybody else. Of course, if we win, there’s a likelihood. But anyway, we have now to win the final sport towards Belgrade. So we cannot discuss it but,” stated coach Hernandez.
We are trying ahead to the ultimate of the group stage
In truth, his workforce wanted to win each of their ultimate two video games in the group stage to remain in rivalry, hoping for 2 Italian losses. If they had been to lose towards Novara, they might nonetheless want a win in their ultimate sport towards Crvena Zvezda Belgrade to realize their CEV Cup goal set by sporting director Rieger with out slipping to final place. The pressure in the group stage ultimate at Potsdam’s MBS Arena on February 8 couldn’t have been increased.
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 might be nice. I believe we’re breaking all attendance data for a really small membership. We know this fixed help, you normally see large groups and it is crucial for us.”
More than 2,000 spectators got here to the sold-out MBS Arena in the Bundesliga sport towards Schwerin. He needs to be match once more in the necessary sport towards 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