Immediately after the Olympic Games in Paris, it became clear that the German national team would undergo serious changes. Some of the most experienced names in the team announced the end of their careers for the national team, and during the friendly match with Belgium at the end of last week, their official farewell was organized. This was a touching moment that marks the end of an era and the beginning of a new cycle in German volleyball \u2013 just before Germany faces Bulgaria in their first match of the World Championship in the Philippines.
End of a great career \u2013 Lukas Kampa
The legendary setter Lukas Kampa was the first to announce his decision. At 39, he ended his long journey in the national team, which began in 2005 \u2013 two full decades at the highest level. Kampa leaves behind an impressive \"resume\": bronze from the World Championship, gold from the European Games, and silver from the European Championship. At club level, he is a champion in Germany, Ukraine, and Poland, a Russian Cup winner, and in recent years he competed in the Polish PlusLiga with Trefl Gda\u0144sk.
Despite bidding farewell to the court, Kampa remains in volleyball \u2013 now as a spokesperson for athletes and a member of the Presidium of the German Volleyball Association. There, his experience will be used to support future generations.
Christian Fromm also says \"goodbye\"
Alongside Kampa, another long-standing pillar of Germany \u2013 middle blocker Christian Fromm \u2013 also ended his participation in the national team. Fromm, who leaves behind 25 years of active career, has won medals in six different leagues \u2013 German, Italian, Turkish, Romanian, Greek, and Polish. With the national team, he achieved silver from the World Championship, gold from the European Games, and silver from the European Championship.
Fromm continues his club career \u2013 last year he joined Olympiacos (Piraeus), but we will no longer see him on the international stage in the national jersey.
New captain \u2013 the return of Georg Grozer
With the departure of the veterans, the team, led by Michal Winiarski, has a new leader. Georg Grozer took over the captaincy of Germany for the World Championship. The 40-year-old opposite, after exactly 11 years of absence from World Championships, will once again wear the national jersey and lead the team on the world stage. His return is symbolic and adds extra weight to the squad, which is looking for a new face and a new identity.
A new beginning for the 'Bundesteam'
Kampa and Fromm recorded a total of 476 matches in the German jersey. Now their absence will be palpable, but the team goes to Manila with fresh energy and with a captain who brings rich international experience. Bulgaria will be the first opponent of this renewed squad.
For our team, this is an additional chance \u2013 Germany is in a transitional period, without its two long-time leaders, but with the returned Grozer, who has always been capable of deciding matches independently. This makes the upcoming match even more unpredictable.
photos:www.volleyball-verband.deandcev.eu
