Volleyball players are greeted with applause in every Polish hall. They get their first ovation when they go out to the pre-match warm-up. This was also the case on Saturday in Radom. Only that almost all of the applause was received by Kurek. He was the first to leave the dressing room onto the pitch, but the rest of the team did not follow him, only waited a moment in front of the stands.. Only after the first thunderstorm of applause did the colleagues join the slightly disheartened captain.
– They used to be colleagues, now we need to talk the captain smiles. – I must admit, good joke. Revenge? No, I’m not like that. Congratulations to them because they got me, fun. Everyone on our team has such a crash.
Bartosz Kurek: Such an early announcement of the team for the World Cup gave us confidence and comfort. VIDEO/Polsat Sport/Polsat Sport
The captain evaluates the match against Ukraine. “I believe we are going in the right direction”
After the last whistle of the meeting with Ukraine, Polish volleyball players also received a lot of applause, but the 3: 2 victory was not easy for them. However, there is information from the Polish camp that in recent weeks the coaches have arranged for them extremely hard training and the legs do not yet “carry” the players as they should.
“A lot of things are still not wearing as they should be, but that’s okay. Because we are supposed to play the best matches this summer not today, not at the Hubert Jerzy Wagner Memorial, but at this most important moment.. But it’s good that we won this game, it’s always better to go down with Wiktoria. We have some matches and training in our legs, but everything is cumulative. I believe that we are going in the right direction – emphasizes Kurek.
The team captain also congratulated the Ukrainians on their good attitude. – They played a really good game. They started with great energy, they played very well in defense – he points out.
Grbić chose the squad for the World Cup. “It’s a difficult moment”
The match in Radom was the first meeting of the Polish team after the final tournament of the League of Nations in Bologna. A few days before the meeting with Ukraine, the coach Nikola Grbić announced the line-up for the world championship. He deleted four players, including Wilfredo Leona. What were the last training sessions like before the decision was announced?
– There was no special tension. There was full mobilization to get the most out of this period. Always eliminations, choosing a coach is a difficult moment. Not only for those who are leaving, but also for us. We became close to this group, it is a pity to look at the guys who will not get their chance this year. And they worked hard for it, they did their best. We would like to thank them, they will be part of this team for many years to come – assures the team captain.