Pool B Preview: Rejuvenated Italy and emerging Slovenia among medal contenders
Editorial
The Pool B of the CEV EuroVolley 2021 Men features two teams that have won multiple continental titles in Italy and the Czech Republic, but it might be Slovenia, which is yet to take gold in the tournament, the hottest side to see action in Ostrava next week. Bulgaria, Belarus and Montenegro are the other components of the group.
A six-time EuroVolley winner, Italy carries the largest tradition in the pool. The team, however, has stepped at the top of the podium for the last time back in 2005 and will try to end its 16-year gold medal drought with a young roster as star outside hitter Osmany Juantorena retired from international volleyball at the end of the Tokyo Games and opposite Ivan Zaytsev recently underwent surgery. One of the few remnants of the squad that took silver at the Rio 2016 Olympics, setter Simone Gianelli is expected to lead the team in the EuroVolley alongside rising star outside hitter Alessandro Michieletto. The Italians will also debut a new coach in the tournament in Ferdinando Di Giorgi.
The winners of the inaugural edition of the EuroVolley in 1948 (as Czechoslovakia), the Czech Republic secured two other continental titles in 1955 and 1958. The team hasn’t won again in 63 years and their last podium appearance dates back to 1985, when they took silver, showing the times have changed for them. Playing at home in Ostrava, the Czechs will strongly rely on 30-year-old, left-handed opposite Jan Hadrava to make better than they did in 2019, when they were 13th.
No team in the continent has experienced a rise in the international scene as fast as Slovenia in recent years. Within the last six seasons, the Slovenians have won two silver medals at the EuroVolley (2015 and 2019), gold at the Challenger Cup (2019) and the CEV European Golden League (2015) and finished fourth at this year’s edition of the Volleyball Nations League, showing that they can compete with any team in the world with their core formed by opposite Toncek Stern, outside hitters Tine Urnaut and Klemen Cebulj and middle blocker Jan Kozamernik.
Bulgaria, on the other hand, will enter the EuroVolley looking to rebound from its worst finish ever, in 2019, when the team ranked 11th. The result was taken as a massive failure by a team that has appeared in 29 of 31 editions of the tournament and took home five medals – one silver and four bronze, the last of which in 2009. A 15th-place finish at this year’s Volleyball Nations League wasn’t very promising, but a team with stars like opposite Tsvetan Sokolov will always aim high and that’s what the Bulgarians will do.
Belarus debuted in the EuroVolley in 2013 and missed just one edition since then (2017), but won just one of their first 11 matches in the event, indicating there might still be some work to be done before they are ready to compete with the elite of the continent. The Belarusians, who took silver in the 2019 European Golden League and in the 2018 European Silver League, will try again in 2021 and libero Maksim Budzihkhin and outside hitter Uladzislau Davyskiba will play pivotal roles in their campaign.
Montenegro debuted in the EuroVolley in 2019 and had somewhat of a positive first appearance as, despite finishing 18th, they won their matches against the Czech Republic and Estonia. The 2014 European Golden League winners will return with more confidence this year and could be in position to make it out of their pool.
Even though it’s expected that Italy and Slovenia compete for the top spot on Pool B, hosts the Czech Republic and Bulgaria also have a shot at it. Montenegro could be a dark horse if all goes well for them and Belarus should approach the tournament without any pressure and take its chances when they appear.
