Ahead of World League this weekend, FIVB has recently conducted an interview with the captain of the Russian team, Dmitry Kovalev and the new head coach Sergey Shliapnikov, who will lead the team to play against Bulgaria, Argentina as well as the 2015 champion and Bronze medalist in 2016, France, in home country.
Recall that Russia has secured an entry ticket in the final round of 2018 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship earlier this week in Estonia. Head coach Sergey Shliapnikov expressed his satisfaction over the victory at Estonia, “It was a significant tournament for us. We won all five matches and it was a necessary step for team-building.” On the upcoming match in Kazan, Sergey stated that he would make some changes in the team composition. “The leaders will have some rest, while younger players will have a chance to show their skills.”
On playing in home country, Russia captain Dmitry Kovalev said, “We are happy to start the World League on home soil. The support of the fans will be the best motivation for us. We have serious opponents and it is important to prepare well.”
The matches in Kazan (Pool C) will start on Friday, June 2 with France v Bulgaria at 13.10 GMT and Russia v Argentina at 16.10 GMT.
(Photo:FIVB)
