Zvicer has arrived, volleyball players are complete, Jevtić: We have an obligation to the country and the coat of arms to progress

With the arrival of Ivan Zvicer after finishing the season with MAV Elore in Hungary, the Montenegrin men's volleyball team is complete in its preparations for the European League, for which it is training in Podgorica.

Coach Ivica Jevtić and his coaching staff work with 16 volleyball players – they train hard every day before matches that are meant to shape the young team and build it for the future.

"The most important thing for us is that the boys came healthy, in a good mood and that we had enough time to rest and enjoy volleyball a little. The boys are working well, they all come from a competitive rhythm and have not had a break. The difference compared to last year is that they all played at a high level - both in the Montenegrin championship and in some European clubs," said coach Jevtić.

On Friday and Saturday, our boys will host the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team, with whom they will spar, and on Saturday, May 23, they will play a friendly match in Podgorica.

"For us, as a young national team, every training session is important, let alone a match. We chose opponents according to our needs. The first matches are against Bosnia and Herzegovina. At the moment, the result is not important, but to see where we are and what level we are at. Immediately after them, the slightly better opponent, North Macedonia, follows. I think that is exactly how we need to improve our form," Jevtić emphasized.

Montenegro is one of the hosts of the 2028 European Championship, it is a sure participant, so the priority is to get young guys into the system.

"The competition system has changed a lot in the last two years. We no longer have qualifications for either the World Cup or the European Championship. We need to win the European Championship through the Europa League. We are lucky enough to be the hosts in 2028 and our priority is to introduce these young guys into the system. We have no pressure for results, but we have an obligation to the country and the flag to progress and for the national team to reach a peak in two years," Ivica Jevtić underlined.

In addition to Bosnia and Herzegovina, the seniors will play North Macedonia a week later, and then participate in three European League tournaments in June. The first is in Vienna, from June 5 to 7, when they will play Austria and Finland, then in Porto seven days later, when their rivals are Portugal and Latvia, and at the end of the CEV competition, Sweden and Estonia will arrive in Montenegro, which we will host in Bijelo Polje from June 19 to 21.

"I had a month of rest, so I can personally say that I had enough time to get ready and come to the preparations with a rested head. The other guys came straight from the season. Ivan came the day before yesterday. It's certainly the hardest mentally, but you can see that the guys have a desire to work. It's always like home in Podgorica. We've been here for many years and we feel most natural there. It turns out that I have the most senior experience in this national team. The team is young, there's always good energy in training," said Nemanja Peruničić.

Ivan Zvicer was the last to join his teammates, after a long season in Hungary and is back with the national team after missing last year's action.

"It could have been a little better at the end of the season for me, but there's certainly nothing to regret. As for the national team, I have to admit that it's really nice to be back with the guys after a short break. They had a tough first week. We're moving into the second week. We have a good rhythm, strong training, which is the most important thing," said Zvicer.

Zvicer adds that Montenegro should focus on itself in the friendly matches.

"The matches against Bosnia and Herzegovina and North Macedonia are certainly important. Every friendly match can only bring good things. Let's see where we are and what needs to be improved. We know each other well with North Macedonia and we know what awaits us. Bosnia and Herzegovina is new because they haven't competed in a few years. But I say again, in friendly matches we need to focus on ourselves and how we will look on the field," Zvicer underlined.