Nations League
German volleyball players with second defeat
The German volleyball players started the Nations League with a defeat. photo
© Jean-Marc Wiesner/dpa
The German volleyball players are starting the Nations League, but the Olympics are already casting their shadow. But the first two games did not go as planned.
The German volleyball players are in the last with two defeats Tournament started before the Olympic Games.
National coach Michal Winiarski’s team lost to Cuba 1:3 (24:26, 25:20, 18:25, 25:23) in the Nations League (VNL). The team had previously lost 0:3 (21:25, 18:25, 23:25) to world champion Italy on the German night at the site of the successful Olympic qualification in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil).
In the VNL there are a total of twelve preliminary round games at three locations for a place in the quarter-finals and points for the world rankings, through which the last Olympic tickets are awarded. Since Germany, unlike Italy and Cuba, has already secured its ticket to Paris, Winiarski is resting some deserving players who have a long season under their belt in the first week of the VNL.
For the players in Rio it will also be about recommending themselves for the Olympic squad. In the third VNL game, the Germans will face Argentina on Saturday (10:30 p.m. CEST).