Nikola Grbic with a clear reaction to the rule changes at the Olympics. Eloquent words
This would definitely be good news for the volleyball world. A few days ago, Brazilian media reported that the FIVB is planning changes to the size of the teams participating in the Olympic tournament. Polish coach Nikola Grbic commented on the idea.
Let us recall that on Friday afternoon, information about the plans of the world volleyball federation appeared on social media. The FIVB is reportedly going to make a key decision related to the size of the Olympic teams. Instead of twelve or fourteen players, they would be included in the match squad.
Nikola Grbic about the planned changes to the FIVB
What would this look like in practice? The match squad consists of fourteen players, of which twelve are selected and are eligible to play. That is, a system with one libero, as it is now. The difference, however, is that the coach can make changes during the Olympic tournament, i.e. in the mentioned fourteen there will be room for a second player in the libero position and, for example, an additional center/receiver. The latter is an individual matter of the needs of a given team.
– If this rumor is true, that would be great! (…) I haven’t heard anything about it yet, but such a solution would certainly be beneficial. Honestly, I don’t know why the IOC and FIVB didn’t start such talks earlier, admitted the coach of the White and Reds in “Super Express”.
When can we expect the FIVB to approve the solution? The date is unknown, but it is said to be decided during one of the meetings of the international federation. You have to admit that this sounds like a really good move on the part of the FIVB.
A great season for the Polish volleyball team
The year 2023 was extremely successful for both women and men, looking at the volleyball competition of the Polish national team. After a sixteen-year break, women advanced to the Olympic tournament. In addition to tickets to the Olympic Games in Paris (2024), the Polish women stood on the podium of the Nations League for the first time in the history of the competition, and also reached the quarterfinals of the European Championships. It was a really good year for the team led by Italian coach Stefano Lavarini.
Polish volleyball players also had an exceptional year. The team led by coach Grbic implemented the plan to the fullest for the national team season. The White and Reds started with a victory in the Nations League, beating the Americans in the gold medal match in the tightly packed Ergo Arena in Tricity. Then the Poles won the European championship, the first since 2009 and the second in the history of Polish volleyball players. At the end of the season, Aleksander Śliwka and company concluded their successful months by winning the Olympic qualification, after a long and arduous tournament in China. Polish volleyball players also achieved a great streak of 24 wins in a row, which will last at least until the first official match of the national team in 2024.
