The German volleyball players started the last tournament before the Olympic Games with a defeat. The team of national coach Michal Winiarski lost the opening match in the Nations League (VNL) on Wednesday 0:3 (21:25, 18:25, 23:25) against world champions Italy.
At the site of the successful Olympic qualification in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), captain Christian Fromm was the German team’s most successful attacker with 13 points. 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.
Winiarski already played some games
Since Germany, unlike Italy, has already secured its ticket for Paris, Winiarski is resting some deserving players who have had a long season 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 second VNL game, the Germans will face Cuba on Thursday (7 p.m. German time).
