The senior coach of Maritsa (Plovdiv) Borislav Krachanov gave an interview to volleymaritza.bg before the first Champions League group game of the new season against Italy’s Savino Del Bene (Scandici). The match will be played on November 8 (Wednesday), at 21:00 BST. in Florence.
– Mr. Krachanov, there are only a few hours left until the first match in the Champions League for the new season. What are Maritza’s expectations in the tournament and in particular in the first match against the Italian Scandici?
– Our Italian rival is of quite good quality and has quite good individual players. For me personally, one of the teams that will fight for the Champions League title. From our side, it does not mean that we are going to surrender beforehand. We will see what we have upgraded because we have kept a large part of our line-up and with the experience of our new additions I hope an idea our level and show growth.
– For the third year in a row you are at the head of the team and for the third year in a row you will lead the team in the groups of the Champions League. What is this challenge like for a coach to play against the best?
– It is certainly a big growth for me, for my staff and the girls. This is a big challenge and we are trying our best to face it. It also depends on the opponent how much he gives us to play.
– Several matches have already passed since the championship. How do you see the team in these matches?
– We are going in the right direction and we are improving in every past match. We need a little more to work. In this season, the whole team got together late because of the Olympic qualification. We are a little behind, but we are making progress in preparation. You can see the growth, we just need to become more precise in certain situations to be able to get the most out of every situation.
– Do you have personnel problems before the first match of the Champions League?
– We don’t have any, we train at full speed. Last week there was a virus and some of them also had a fever, but the medical staff did everything in their power to make sure they were fully fit, both in training and in matches. It’s not something that bothers us. The girls are on their faces and everyone is training to the fullest. We don’t have a volleyball player to train individually.
– Are you satisfied with the new additions to the team?
– I can’t help but be satisfied. We have attracted experienced players who have won the Champions League. This helps a lot. Our foreigner is also already adapting and showing her qualities and she is raising our level. We are on an upward trend which is quite pleasing.
– A few days ago, you were again selected as the coach of the national under-20 team after the strong performance at the World Cup.
– I want to thank the federation, which once again voted confidence in me and my staff. We did a lot of work with the girls last summer. First I want to do the work at club level and then I will think about the national team. We as a staff will continue to watch the girls grow throughout the season so we can know who is best prepared and who will receive call ups.
– How do you want Maritza to look this season?
– The most important thing is that we are healthy and that there are no injuries. In the Champions League, I hope to show our improvement, which we started from last year. I hope that we will be able to fight against the Hungarian Vasas Obuda (Budapest) so that we can continue our participation in the CEV Cup. This is one of our goals that we have set for ourselves. Additional matches in the CEV Cup will raise our level even more.
Latest news
Comments
Comments
