Overview
It’s time for the big clashes at EuroVolley 2019! In the second semifinal, to be played at the AccorHotels Arena in Paris, hosts France will face what probably is their toughest challenge of the tournament yet, the team of Serbia.
Each of the two solidly performing teams went through their respective pool on the wave of five consecutive wins losing only one set along the way and extended their streak with a straight-set victoriy in the eighthfinals. In the quarterfinals, France cruised to yet another shutout, of Italy, capitalising on Stephen Boyer’s nine aces towards an amazing total of 25 points for the three sets, while Serbia had to work hard for their 3-2 victory over an inspired Ukraine, but emerged on top, led by Uros Kovacevic’s magical touch in offence.
Laurent Tillie"From the 1986 World Championships in the same venue, I remember the crowd, how disappointed we were because we wanted to play the semifinals and we just placed fifth. Quite a sad memory. That's why I wanted to be back, as a coach, and as a semifinalist. But with a different approach, not just be satisfied with what we have now; we need to be "hangry"."
France's head coach
Slobodan Kovac“We will try to copy our women’s team, who played with Turkey in the same situation and won. I called Zoran [Terzic] and tried to learn how best to prepare my men for the match.”
Serbia's head coach
Head-to-head
• Serbia (incl. Yugoslavia and Serbia and Montenegro) will face France for the 20th time at EuroVolley (W13-L6).
• Both Serbia (incl. Yugoslavia and Serbia and Montenegro) and France have not faced any other opponent at EuroVolley as often as 20 times.
• France won the last clash between these two teams at EuroVolley, 3-1 in the quarterfinals in 2015.
• This will be the third time these two sides meet in the EuroVolley semi-finals. In 1997, Yugoslavia beat France 3-0. Six years later France won 3-2 against Serbia and Montenegro.
• France have won eight of the last nine matches against Serbia in major world level competitions, including 3-1 in the 2019 FIVB Volleyball Nations League. Serbia's win in this run was a 3-2 victory in the second round of the 2018 FIVB World Championships.
Serbia
• Serbia are hoping to claim their third EuroVolley title, after 2001 (as Yugoslavia) and 2011.
• Serbia can become the fourth country to win at least three European titles, after Russia (14; 12 as Soviet Union, 2 as Russia), Italy (6) and Czech Republic (3 as Czechoslovakia).
• Serbia finished on the podium in nine of the last 12 EuroVolley tournaments - winners (2), runners-up (1), third place (6).
• Serbia were one of three countries to lose only one set in this year's group stage, alongside France and Poland.
• Serbia have won seven matches at a single EuroVolley for the first time.
• Uros Kovacevic (95) is Serbia's top scorer in the 2019 EuroVolley.
France
• France are aiming for their eighth podium finish at EuroVolley and their second European title after 2015.
• Co-hosts France won all seven matches at the 2019 EuroVolley. They only dropped one set, in their 3-1 win against Italy on 18 September.
• France can win eight matches in a single EuroVolley tournament for the first time.
• The last team to claim the European title with a maximum of one lost set was the Netherlands in 1997. Only Yugoslavia avoided a straight-set defeat against Holland that campaign (3-1 loss in the final).
• France claimed their first major trophy by beating Serbia 3-0 in the final of the FIVB World League in July 2015, a few months before France won EuroVolley for the first time.
• France have won four of their five semi-final appearances. Their only defeat in this stage was against Yugoslavia in 1997.
• Stephen Boyer (133) is France's top scorer in the 2019 EuroVolley. Only Nimir Abdel-Aziz (NED, 152) has scored more points in the final round.
• Kévin Tillie has a 43 percentage as receiver, the highest of all players in this year's EuroVolley final round.
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Match Polls
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Officials
First RefereeWim CAMBRÉBELSecond RefereeDavid FERNANDEZ FUENTESESP
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Venue Information
AccorHotels Arena is a versatile and modular room located on Boulevard de Bercy, in the Bercy district of Paris' 12th arrondissement. It underwent major renovations in 2014 and 2015. Since its inauguration in 1984, it has hosted many sporting events, some of them regular (such as the Masters of Paris-Bercy in tennis and the Grand Slam of Paris in judo), concerts by the greatest national and international artists, and plans to host the basketball and judo competitions of the 2024 Summer Olympic G Capacity: 15609
- How To Attend
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Watch Live
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Following the conclusion of the match, a short recap video will be made available on the platform.
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Quarterfinal Highlights
#EuroVolleyM
Team
Previous Games
| 29/09/2019 | vs. |
3 - 1 | W | Go to Match Centre |
| 27/09/2019 | vs. |
3 - 2 | W | Go to Match Centre |
| 24/09/2019 | vs. |
3 - 2 | W | Go to Match Centre |
- All Time
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9Competitions Played
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5Titles
- Competition
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9Matches Played
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9Matches Won
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100%Win %
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27Sets Won
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781Points Won
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53%Attack %
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43%Reception %
Team
- Birth Date: 1987
- Birth Place: Prijepolje
- Height: 203 cm
- Birth Date: 1993
- Birth Place: Doboj
- Height: 205 cm
- Birth Date: 1993
- Birth Place: Kraljevo
- Height: 198 cm
- Birth Date: 1992
- Birth Place: Kragujevac
- Height: 200 cm
- Birth Date: 1990
- Birth Place: Čačak
- Height: 204 cm
- Birth Date: 1990
- Birth Place: Beograd
- Height: 194 cm
- Birth Date: 1991
- Birth Place: Belgrade
- Height: 202 cm
- Birth Date: 1993
- Birth Place: Novi Sad
- Height: 202 cm
- Birth Date: 1989
- Birth Place: Beograd
- Height: 193 cm
- Birth Date: 1987
- Birth Place: Novi Sad
- Height: 204 cm
- Birth Date: 1992
- Birth Place: Kraljevo
- Height: 205 cm
Recent Results
Gallery
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Serbia qualify for the final over France
The combined total number of points scored by both teams throughout the entire match.
The total length of the match, from the first serve through until the last point has ended.
Total number of people in attendance at the venue – taken at the end of the second set.
The combined total number of successful spikes achieved by both teams throughout the entire match.
An average of the two team service reception percentages from the complete match.
The number of successful point winning blocks of SERBIA compared to FRANCE.
SERBIA number of service aces compared to FRANCE
Errors leading to points of SERBIA, next to those from FRANCE
Nemanja Petric"Our dream is the gold medal. We gave everything to be here. We'll need to be concentrated as we'll face a really good team in the final. Slovenia have shown amazing volleyball until now and I'm sure they will repeat. But we also played our best volleyball and I hope we won't give up, as was the case against Ukraine and France."
Serbia's captain
Laurent Tillie"We're feeling disappointed of course because we fought a good game, we lost because we started the tiebreak so badly. We were exhausted, we lost confidence, but Serbia played so well. Spikers, blocks... You can just congratulate Serbia."
France's head coach
Nikola Jovovic"We're all happy, it's like a dream. It's the first final for this generation, definitely one of the biggest wins in front of I don't know how many fans. Like Slovenia, we want to win this gold medal."
Serbia's setter
Trévor Clevenot"We still have the bronze medal match tomorrow, it will be important to be on the podium for this European championship in France. Tonight, it was a big battle. We knew we would face a really strong opponent, they served really well. It all came down to the tiebreak where they put a lot of pressure on us right away."
France's outside hitter
