After the stunning victory over Copra Ardelia away at Piacenza, the Romanian Champions Tomis Constanța have been regarded as the surprise package of the CEV Champions League so far. Unsurprisingly, the success was followed by an increased media interest, especially towards Tomis’ head coach Martin Stoev. We managed to translate and present to you a large part of his interview for volleyball.bg. So, here is what Mr Stoev had to say about his team and the win against the Italian side:
Mr Stoev, 5 out of 5 in the Romanian League and winning against Copra Ardelia Piacenza in the CEV Champions League. Can we say that the team is in its optimal form or is there more potential?
-You can always wish for more, but I think that we were in a good shape, especially for the game in Italy. We are focusing our preparations until December entirely on our performance in the Champions League and I believe we managed to make a good start in the competition.
Are you pleased with the team’s performance against Copra?
– I am indeed pleased. Although we made a few errors too many, we played against a very good team. But more importantly, we were not intimidated by the name Piacenza, despite all their trophies, titles and players, and we managed to beat them.
Last season you won both the Romanian League and the National Cup. Will Tomis Constanța be able to defend the two trophies this season?
– We did just that in the previous two seasons. Last year we also advanced to the semi-finals of the CEV Cup after failing to go through the CEV Champions League playoff round. These are our objectives and we have what it takes to pursue them. Also, we can’t really aim for the second place when we are the current champions, can we?
How many teams do you think will fight for the top spots this season?
– This year the league is a bit different from what it was last year because of the simple reason that the allowed quota for foreign players was reduced from 4 to 3 per team. In addition, several teams made some key signings and if we had three teams that stood out last season, this year they are six, seven… maybe even eight. The league is more competitive this year and you can’t really predict the winners with certainty for any of the games. The playoff format is also changed – the top four teams at the end of the season will compete for the title.
We have chosen and ranked our objectives since before the start of the season. Now until December the Champions League will be our priority. However, until we complete our matches there we must remain in the top 4 of the Romanian League so when playoff time comes, we can have a shot for the title. When it comes to league matches, I give opportunities for everyone to play because by having one foreigner more than what the quota allows, players can’t get out of game rhythm. Playing just in the Champions League games is simply not enough. Everyone needs to play, so we can stay in a good physical condition.
What are your objectives for the CEV Champions League then, after the impressive win away at Piacenza?
– Last year we won three matches in the CEV Champions League group stage which were enough to go through to the playoff round for reaching the last 12. However, we got eliminated then and we continued our European adventure in the CEV Cup where we reached the semis. This year we will do whatever is in our hands to advance to the Champions League Last 12 phase – this is our objective and we will do our best to achieve it.
Did you expect such a performance before the start of the game against Piacenza?
– We went in Italy with that in mind. Piacenza is a very good team with talented players and a long history behind it. However, the past is past and what is important is how good they are at the moment. If you just rely on your reputation, things can’t work out well for you. Each game starts from 0:0 and we went with the idea to come back with a win. We managed to take 2 points out of it. We could have come back to Romania with the three points. We were neck and neck in the fourth game up to 21:21, but we made a couple of errors and the game went into a tiebreak. Otherwise we could have easily won it 3:1. But if you don’t believe in your success then you might as well not even bother to compete.
Photo: sportexclusiv.ro
