To show that we belong on the EP

"We are going to the European Championship with the same ambitions as last time. It will not be easy, nor will it be easier, because now, probably, everyone is waiting for us".

This is the message of the head coach of the Montenegrin volleyball team, Veljko Bašić, ahead of tomorrow's trip to Ostrava (Czech Republic), where the "reds" will participate in the European Championship for the second time.

Two years ago, in Rotterdam, on their debut, Montenegro left a good impression with victories over Estonia and the Czech Republic, and defeats against the Netherlands, Poland and Ukraine, and they almost missed out on a place in the knockout phase.

"We have an extremely complicated group, perhaps the most difficult in the European Championship, but in my opinion, that is no reason not to go there with ambitions, to, first of all, show how we have progressed and what we have done in the past period," said Bašić.

Montenegro will play in group B with the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Italy, Slovenia and Belarus. The first game is on Thursday, September 3 against Bulgaria. Four teams from the group will advance to the round of XNUMX.

The thirty-second edition of the European Volleyball Championship, apart from the Czech Republic, is being held in Poland, Estonia and Finland.

"After the exceptionally well-worked qualifications, especially the last match with Greece and the first place in the group, we want to show that we still have a place at the European Championship. We need to show fighting spirit, because we represent the country, and on the other hand technical and tactical qualities that are much better ", Bašić added.

Montenegro will be weakened, because Bašić did not include Marko Bojić in the list of 14 players due to the injury he suffered for a long time and insufficient physical preparation.

Technicians Rajko Strugar and Danilo Dubak, service receivers Vojin Ćaćić, Ivan Zvicer, Marko Vukašinović and Nemanja Peruničić, correctors Miloš Ćulafić, Aleksandar Miniić and Milutin Pavićević, middle blockers Luka Babić, Ivan Ječmenica, Blažo Milić and Matija Ćinćur are traveling to the European Championship, as and libero Nikola Lakčević.

Bašić's professional staff includes assistant coach Darko Prebiračević, physical preparation specialist Vladimir Živanović, statistician Pavle Matić, physiotherapists Vladimir Dragojević and Drago Đurović, team manager Nikola Kažić and PR Aleksandar Vučković.

Montenegrin volleyball players travel to Ostrava tomorrow at 13 pm via Vašava and Krakow.

""Preparations are over, we worked great. There were problems with injuries and the virus, but now it's behind us. It's time for real games. I think we're ready, we found the rhythm we were looking for, we got our game back and we're traveling in a good mood to the European Championship. I believe that we can repeat the result from last time, but we do not promise anything except that we will do our best. We are looking for a chance against the Czech Republic and Belarus, but in the other three matches we will at least try to 'break' a set", he pointed out is Vojin Ćaćić.