Stuttgart, Germany, October 11, 2018. While the Dutch champions SLIEDRECHT Sport were playing rookies UVC Holding GRAZ of Austria for the first time in the 1st Round of the 2019 CEV Volleyball Champions League, Germany’s Allianz MTV STUTTGART discussed with the media their ambitions in Europe’s elite club competition.
Allianz MTV STUTTGART are looking forward to their second participation in the Champions League after 2016; however, they are having a very odd schedule at the beginning of the season. After finishing second in the German national league for four years in a row, the team is hoping for their first gold medal in that competition. Apparently, the Champions League is functioning as a warm-upper for ‘Project Gold’, with the very interesting pairing of DRESDNER SC vs STUTTGART in the round of sixteen of the German Cup as the icing on the cake.
Both top-level matches are due to take place just before the national competition begins. “This programme is not ideal, but we have to deal with it anyway,” says STUTTGART coach Ioannis Athanasopoulos. “My team is more than 100 percent focussed onto our challenging schedule.”
Kim Renkema, STUTTGART Sports Director adds: “From the beginning on we have to put the pedal to the metal and go full speed, because we want to reach the Champions League pool phase plus the final of the National Cup.” High aims, when looking at the current workforce.
With Pia Kaestner, Jana Franziska Poll and Sarah Wilhite, three players are currently missing in Stuttgart as they are participating in the FIVB World Championship in Japan with Germany and USA, respectively - as well as does assistant coach Tamari Miyashiro (USA). “We try to be in contact with them via social media as much as possible,” explains STUTTGART team captain Deborah van Daelen (see photo, together with coach Athanasopoulos and libero Roosa Koskelo). “We look forward to having them back with us, and try to make the home-coming as easy as possible for them.”
Everyone in Stuttgart is ready for the start of the season and the hunt for titles. In the meantime, coach Athanasopoulos points to his most important goal: “We have to go out and play with everything our body and our heart can give. It does not matter, if we win or lose. Our fans in the SCHARRena or in front of the TV set have to see that we fight and give everything. We will then see what happens.”
The first match in the SCHARRrena, the unique sports hall underneath the seats of the huge Mercedes-Benz-Arena (home to soccer team VfB STUTTGART), is scheduled for Wednesday, October 31, at 19:00 vs the winner of the fixture between SLIEDRECHT Sport and UVC Holding GRAZ. Only three days later, on Saturday, November 3, at 19:30 STUTTGART will be hosting DRESDNER SC in the round of sixteen of the German Cup.
