Germany suffered a heavy blow just days before the start of EuroVolley 2026. The Bundesteam's big star, Georg Grozer, will not participate in the European Championship.
The information has been confirmed by the German Volleyball Federation (DVV). The federation confirmed to the German agency SID that the 41-year-old opposite hitter continues to have physical problems and is currently undergoing an individual physiotherapy program. According to German media, the European Championship comes too early for the veteran.
Grozer joined the national team's preparation later, and even before the final decision, he himself had expressed doubts whether he would be able to reach the necessary physical condition in time for the championship. dpa also reports, citing the German Volleyball Federation, that the opposite hitter is not fully ready for the tournament and must continue his special physiotherapy program.
His absence is already visible in head coach Massimo Botti's squad. Grozer was not among the 16 volleyball players for the last two control matches against the Netherlands in Potsdam. In the squad published by the DVV itself, the only nominal opposite hitter is Jan Böhme, while Erik Röhrs can also be used in this position.
Germany has already played the first of two test matches against the Netherlands and won 4:0 (25:21, 25:22, 25:14, 25:19). After the first three sets, the two teams played an additional fourth set for training purposes.
Grozer's loss is significant for the Germans. The 41-year-old opposite hitter has been one of the iconic figures of German volleyball over the past two decades. With the national team, he won a bronze medal at the 2014 World Championship and silver at EuroVolley 2017, and in 2024, he helped Germany reach the quarterfinals of the Olympic Games in Paris.
Germany is in a group in Cluj-Napoca along with hosts Romania, France, Turkey, Latvia, and Switzerland. The Bundesteam begins its EuroVolley participation on September 10 against Turkey. This group also includes Bulgaria's potential opponents in the knockout phase.
Thus, Massimo Botti will have to pursue Germany's first European title in history without the volleyball player who for years was the team's main weapon in attack.
photo: Nikolay Varadinov
