In the Bundesliga, the BR Volleys are number one. In the quarter-finals of the Champions League, they now face number one in the world: Perugia. The Italians are the clear favourites, but not unbeatable. By Lynn Kraemer
Anyone who wears the orange BR Volleys jersey knows one role in particular: that of the winner. The reigning champion, current cup winner and leader of the table rarely allows victory in German volleyball to be contested. It will be interesting when the Berliners play internationally. Then they are among the best and have to stretch to keep up.
BR Volleys won the cup for the sixth time by beating Düren
The BR Volleys have won the DVV Cup for the sixth time. After losing the first set, an increase in performance was enough for the expected triumph over the SWD powervolleys Düren.more
Reaching the quarter-finals of the Champions League is already considered a great success: “We’re among the eight best teams in Europe. We’ve already achieved our goal for the season in the Champions League,” says Managing Director Kaweh Niroomand. It would be presumptuous to call for a place in the semi-finals now. Because the volleys have to get past Perugia on Wednesday (7:30 p.m.).
The Italian city is not only the home of the Baci Perugina (Kisses of Perugia), the well-known chocolate pralines wrapped in blue and silver foil, but also the reigning volleyball club world champion. And among the last eight teams, without the Russian teams, the Italians are favorites to reach the final.
Perugia’s strong vein
In the Italian “Superlega” or Serie A, the Perugini are undefeated in the current season. They are so far ahead of the competition that the gap to second-placed Trentino is 21 points (Berlin’s quarter-final opponent of the previous year). The focus is above all on one thing: outside attacker Wilfredo Leon. The Cuban with Polish citizenship is considered the best player in the world. His salary is on a level – a German Bundesliga club could put together his entire team in the lower region of the table.
And Leon doesn’t come alone. World champions, Champions League winners and Olympic medal winners unite in the squad. Setter Simone Gianelli not only led Italy to World Cup victory in 2022, but was also voted Most Valuable Player. And outside attacker Kamil Semeniuk replaced the American Matt Anderson in the summer. “It must be a pleasure for every one of our players to be able to play against such an opponent and without feeling like a favourite,” said Volleys Managing Director Kaweh Niroomand.
Berlin’s Ruben Schott has already had experience with the Italian powerhouse. During his season at Powervolley Milan he faced the team from Perugia. He remembered one fan choreo in particular from the game: “Just before the game started, everyone threw toilet paper on the field. It was then all wiped away.” Schott’s team met the same fate a little later.
Winning is not impossible
But Andrea Anastasi’s team is not invincible. In the Italian Cup, Perugia was surprisingly eliminated by sixth-placed Piacenza in the semifinals (0:3 | 28:30, 20:25, 22:25). The Italians can also take a sentence again and again. This was achieved, for example, by the SWD powervolleys Düren, who had to play against Perugia in the group phase. The Italians ultimately won 3-1, but had a few problems against the Bundesliga side at the beginning (28:30, 26:24, 25:20, 25:19). And that the volleys are in better shape than Düren, they have this season not only proven in the cup.
In order not just to win a set, but maybe even the game, the Berliners have to call on all their reserves: “We need a strong Marek [Sotola]. If he can deliver a game like the last games in the Champions League, then that would be very good for us,” says Ruben Schott. If everyone overperforms and delivers their best game, you have a chance.
The Volleys are still without Saso Stalekar, who has been sidelined for three weeks with a sprained muscle tendon and is unlikely to return until the start of the playoffs.
take advantage of home advantage
Stalekar will be watching the game from the edge with over 6,000 fans. Because with such an opponent, the BR Volleys also open the upper tier in the Max-Schmeling-Halle. Trend: sold out. “I hope that we can use our home advantage and annoy Perugia a bit,” said Schott. As a clear outsider, there is little pressure on the team’s shoulders: “We can play freely and then we’ll just see what’s in it.”
