Wilfredo Leon is the terror of the Italians. The Polish representative warns against the final
There is no doubt that one of the heroes of Thursday’s victory of the Polish volleyball players over the Slovenians (3:1) was Wilfredo Leon. The White and Reds’ receiver was the best scorer in the match, but as he himself admitted, he does not intend to stop.
Coach Nikola Grbic, in both the quarterfinals against Serbia (3:1) and the semifinals against Slovenia (3:1), relied on the same duo of receivers from the very beginning. It was created by Aleksander Śliwka and Wilfredo Leon. The first one, the pitch captain in the absence of Bartosz Kurek, helping the team in key moments. Leon? Offensive leader, providing solutions in difficult moments of the fight on “high balls” with the opponent’s block.
Wilfredo Leon is the most dangerous “gun” of the White and Reds
Italian volleyball fans know the Polish national team’s host very well from his appearances on the fields of the national league. Leon has been a player of Sir Safety Perugia since 2018. Last season, he was joined by his representative teammate Kamil Semeniuk. However, Leon is the big star on Italian dance floors.
It is therefore hardly surprising that the Italians may be afraid of the form of the host of the White and Reds, especially considering his form in the semi-finals of the European Championship. Leon scored as many as 25 points, being a key figure in the team under the direction of coach Grbic.
The receiver, who has been in the Polish national team since 2019, is exceptionally dangerous in the service field. During the ongoing tournament, he equaled his world record in the speed of the served. The counter showed as much as 138 km/h.
– I think that against Slovenia I hit a few times, but not very strong balls. But yes, in the final I will try to break this record again. At least once – he quotes the Polish host after Interia’s semi-final win.
Therefore, it seems that the Italian players will have to prepare for a strong shooting performance by one of the stars of the Polish national team.
Italy – Poland, what time and where to watch the European Championship 2023 final?
A repeat of the World Cup final from last year in the European Championship final? Such things are happening before our eyes in men’s volleyball. The Italians will face the Poles again. A year ago, in Spodek in Katowice, Italia defeated the hosts 3:1, and the winner could have been… former coach of the White and Reds, Ferdinando De Giorgi.
What will it be like in the case of European Championship 2023? The Italians are defending the title they won two years ago, interestingly, also in Spodek. The Italy-Poland match will start at 9:00 p.m. at the Palazzetto dello Sport in Rome. From 5:30 p.m., the current European vice-champions, Slovenians and French, i.e. Olympic champions, will fight for bronze medals.
The Italy-Poland match for the European Championship 2023 gold will be broadcast on Polsat Sport and TVP Sport. The online broadcast will be available on the TVP Sport website and via the Polsat Box Go platform.
