In the shadow of the battles at Mundobasket, the European championships in one of the most popular team sports on the Old Continent - volleyball - are taking place.
The women have already reached the very end, on Monday the men started as well, and today Montenegro plays its 11th match at the European Championships. Ivan Joksimović's team will play their first match in Group C in Skopje today (17:3 p.m.) against the Netherlands, a team against which the "Reds" recorded one of the biggest and most surprising victories in history - 2:2014 in "Morača" in May 2015, in qualifications for the European Championship XNUMX.
At that time, however, it did not help them to reach the first major competition, because the team of the then coach Slobodan Boškan lost to "lala" 3:1 in Zagreb six days later and practically had no chance in the group with them, the Croats and the Romanians. .
The last time Montenegro and the Netherlands met at the beginning of Eurovolley 2019 in Rotterdam "Ahoj", where the home team conceded only 45 points to the team led by Veljko Bašić. Even now, the team led by one of the best proofreaders in the world, Nimir Abdel-Aziz, is the absolute favorite, but the Montenegrin camp hopes to provide strong resistance in the "Boris Trajkovski" hall.
- That match in Rotterdam was our first appearance at the European championships, there was a certain pressure on the players. I cannot say that the match in Skopje will be similar to the one from four years ago. There will certainly be some pressure here, because a lot of young players will be playing, but looking at how they worked in training, how they accept their obligations, how the older ones bear everything and what kind of instructions they give to the younger ones, I think it will be quite an interesting answer - Joksimović is optimistic.
The Netherlands was 10th in the FIVB League of Nations and until the very end of the group stage in the game for the final eight, but the coach of the "Reds" believes that the team of the Italian Roberto Piazza is not perfect.
- We should try to take advantage of the flaws they have in the game. Of course, nobody is perfect, not even them. On the other hand, we also have to be able to use it all, so it takes a lot of dice to match to make the game uncertain. I expect it to be like that, but they are the absolute favourites. We have nothing to lose, so we will fight until the last ball - emphasized Joksimović.
Libero Milan Rovčanin expects a difficult task.
- We all know that the Netherlands is a quality national team and it will certainly be difficult, because they have very good players. But we didn't come to surrender, but to fight and give our best, so we'll see what it will be enough for. We have been working for this for a month or more, the period has come when we should show what we practiced during the preparations. I hope that everything will go well, that we will live up to the expectations of the selectors, as well as ours, and succeed in reaching the second round of the competition, which is our goal - stressed Rovčanin.
The youngest member of the national team, Jedinstva's middle blocker, 17-year-old Nikola Đurović, especially emphasizes the good atmosphere in the team as a prerequisite for a good result.
- After 45 days of preparation, progress can be felt in the team. It's a really great atmosphere and we hope for the best. The first game against the Netherlands awaits us, I hope we will show ourselves in the best possible light. They are one of the favorites in our group. It will be difficult to compete with them, but we hope for the best - Đurović is optimistic.
The favorite of group C is Poland, the selection that is the current world vice-champion, winner of the League of Nations and bronze from the last Eurovolley, and Montenegro should look for a chance against North Macedonia, Denmark and the Czech Republic.
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