Practicaly hours before leaving for european championship in Vienna, Slovenian national volleyball team step also in front of the gathered members of national press. “We are prepared,” was the moto of all the players and staff members on the press conference, held in Tivoli hall in center of Ljubljana.

“After a four month long period and a lot of promising matches played on different tournaments and European league, we are all very confident, that time has come for our first win on the European championship,” said federation director Mitja Koželj in a good spirit, followed by the team coach Veselin Vuković. “Every single player performed as good as I hope that it will and on the occasions even better! We are all very confident after four months of hard work, systematical training and a lot of sacrifice,“ said also head coach Vuković, who also thinks, that reaching second round is pretty realistic goal for that team on the EC.

“Our team gelled well during those months of hard work and I
Read more...

With more than 180 international matches Joao Jose is the figurehead of Portugal’s national team. The 33-year-old middle blocker, who started to play volleyball at the age of 16, wants to throw in all the experience he gained with the German club VfB Friedrichshafen to help Portugal perform well in the EuroVolley 2011 in Austria and the Czech Republic.

For a long time volleyball did not play a role in Joao Jose’s life. He was born in Portimao and only at the age of 16 a friend persuaded him “to experiment” – eventually he started his career in 1994 and joined Che-Lagoense the club of his hometown. In the following years he changed clubs several times within Portugal.

The 2002 World Championship in Argentina was a major turning point for him. With his impressive jumping ability Joao Jose was named best blocker of the tournament which raised the interest in him on an international level. “It was a surprise”, he remembers today. “During the first half of my career things just happened to me.
Read more...