Poland's head coach Nikola Grbić already has a clear plan for the Nations League tournaments, and one of the most interesting details directly concerns Bulgaria. From his words in the showMagazyn Team Polskaon the channelSiatkarskie Ligiit became clear that for the third week of the competition, which is in Chicago, the world No. 1 should have its strongest squad available.
Currently, 24 volleyball players are preparing at the Polish training camp in Spała. From this group, the 14 players for the opening tournament in China will be selected, but this by no means implies that they will form the backbone of the team throughout the summer.
Grbić admitted that the national team is not yet at the desired level of preparation. The reason is the varying workload of the players after the end of the club season. Some of them finished their commitments earlier, while others remained at a high level until the very end of the season, which necessitates a gradual equalization of the physical and game readiness of the group.
For this reason, Poland will start its participation in the Nations League without some of its biggest stars. The last national team members are expected to join the preparation in mid-June, and the coaching staff's idea is for the team to gradually achieve its complete form as the tournament progresses.
That is why Grbić's words about Chicago attract attention. If the plan is executed, the third tournament of the preliminary phase will be the moment when the Poles will rely on their strongest players. This means that Bulgaria could face the best version of the reigning Nations League champion and world No. 1.
The Serbian specialist made it clear that for the first tournament in China, he will rely on Jan Firlej, as he wants to have an experienced setter in the squad. At the same time, Artur Szalpuk, Kévin Sasak, Bartłomiej Bołądź, and Marcin Komenda remain in his plans for the home Nations League tournament in Gliwice.
Thus, Grbić carefully distributes the workload and roles over the three weeks of the tournament. China will be the start of the process, Gliwice – the next step for integrating more players, and Chicago emerges as the moment when Poland should display its strongest lineup.
Among the topics the coach touched upon was also the situation with Jakub Nowak. The young middle blocker of Norwid Częstochowa missed the Silesia Cup due to a sprained ankle, and his future in the national team will depend on how quickly he regains his form.
For Bulgaria, the most important conclusion is clear – if everything goes according to Grbić's plan, in Chicago, Gianlorenzo Blengini's national team will face Poland with a squad as close as possible to their strongest. And this turns the match against the world No. 1 and reigning Nations League champion into one of the most valuable tests for the Bulgarian team this summer, where our national team will meet the "white-reds" for the second time after the Silesia Cup.
photo:Nikolay Varadinov