The German national volleyball team is preparing for the World Championship in the Philippines. Several key players are missing from the squad, among them setter Johannes Tille. Head coach Michal Winiarski commented on the reasons for his absence on the Volleyball Leagues channel. The 41-year-old specialist was perfectly clear – the reasons for absences in the team are not entirely medical.

It has long been known that volleyball is not equally popular everywhere, as it is in Winiarski's homeland - Poland. Germany is no exception either - there it is just one of the team sports. Although the discipline is gaining popularity, there is still a lot of work to be done. According to Winiarski, this also gives him a certain freedom and comfort in working with the national team.

"The German coach has incredible comfort in his work. The interest here is much smaller. Even the knowledge of the discipline itself - when we talk about journalists and specialists - is more limited and we have to search for it with a flashlight. Volleyball is the fourth or fifth team sport in Germany. After the Olympics, this changed somewhat, because we were on national television and viewership was high, but the gap remains" - Winiarski shared with the YouTube channelSiatkarskie Liga.

While for Polish volleyball players wearing the national jersey with the eagle is a matter of honor, in Germany the situation is a little different. There, the coach is often at the mercy of the players. Absences occur and they are not always due to health problems - some volleyball players prefer their personal lives over matches for the national team.

"In the German national team, players do not receive money. If they come to a camp, they do it only to win and build something together. We managed to create a fairly strong group, but at the same time we lost a few players. For example, Johannes Tille will soon become a father and said he will not play in the World Championship. Meanwhile, three or four volleyball players got married and wanted to have a normal vacation and honeymoon. These are life issues beyond my control, and as a coach I learned to accept them" - Winiarski said.

The most important event for Germany remains the World Championship, which will take place in September in the Philippines. The Germans are in Group E along with Slovenia, Bulgaria and Chile.

In the absence of experienced players like Tille, the German team may seem weakened, but this opens the door for new names and fresh energy. Bulgaria will have to be careful - such "liberated" squads are sometimes even more dangerous.

After the Olympics, changes also occurred in Germany. New names appear in the squad, and interest in the team is increasing after the success in Paris.

"This year is quite special because I have a group of new players for the first time in camp and this post-Olympic transitional period is good to get to know them" - summed up Michal Winiarski.

The German team's preparation also includes participation in theFipav Cup Men Elite 2025, which will be held in Turin at the end of August. There, the Bundesliga team will compete against some of the strong European teams:

The tournament in Italy will be an important test for Winiarski's squad. It will show how far the preparation has progressed and which of the new volleyball players are ready for the big stage before the World Championship in the Philippines.

photo:volleyballworld.com