Under this title, the FIVB website today outlines one of the highlights of the World Championship. Bulgaria is directly involved – not only because they will open their group stage participation precisely against Georg Grozer and company, but also because of the many memorable matches they have had with the German of Hungarian origin.
“A lifetime – 55 years, to be precise – has passed since Germany last won the Men's Volleyball World Championship in 1970. In fact, their other podium finish was in 2014, when they took home bronze medals in Poland,” thus begins the article dedicated to Grozer.
The opposite hitter, the only one remaining from that 2014 squad, surely holds vivid memories of that success as Germany prepares for its 13th appearance in the World Finals – this year in Manila, Philippines (September 12–28).
With high probability, this will be Grozer's "swan song". At 40 years old, he marks 18 years since his debut for Germany in 2007, and his third World Championship is approaching after his participations in 2010 and 2014. The 200 cm tall opposite hitter has seen it all with the national team – his rich resume also includes two Olympics (London 2012 and Paris 2024), a silver medal from the European Championship (2017), and gold from the European Golden League (2009).
Nevertheless, Germany can look with optimism beyond the "Grozer era," thanks to the FIVB Volleyball Empowerment program. Since 2023, the country has received 288,000 Swiss francs for long-term support in coaching development, with Fabian Tobias working as a "scientific coach" for all national teams. Meanwhile, the men's team is led by Pole Michał Winiarski, who has had a huge impact since his appointment in 2022. After a 15th-place finish at the 2022 World Championship, Winiarski led Germany to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, finishing first and undefeated in Group A of the qualifiers, after victories over Brazil, Cuba, and Italy.
At the Paris 2024 Olympics themselves, the Germans dramatically lost 2:3 to eventual champions France in the quarterfinals, proving their resurgence under Winiarski's leadership. Germany qualified for this year's World Championship as the highest-ranked unclassified team and is currently #8 in the FIVB world rankings.
The "Eagles" were drawn into Group E of the World Championship along with Bulgaria, Slovenia, and Chile. They will open precisely against Bulgaria on September 13 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, will face Chile on September 15, and will conclude the group stage against favorites Slovenia on September 17.
Winiarski used this year's Volleyball Nations League to prepare his young talents – opposite hitter Filip John (204 cm) and outside hitter Erik Röhrs, who impressed. John finished third among scorers with 210 points, while Röhrs showed excellent play in both attack and reception.
Another young player who impressed in VNL 2025 is middle blocker Simon Valentin Torwie, who will now partner with Tobias Krick and a well-rested Anton Brehme.
Outside hitter Moritz Reichert returns to the squad after an absence from the VNL and will likely find a place among the starters. Following the retirement of long-time captain Lukas Kampa, Jan Zimmermann will now be the main setter.
21-year-old Leonard Graven will start as libero due to the absence of Julian Zenger, and Germany will try to simultaneously showcase the future of world volleyball and properly bid farewell to perhaps its biggest star – Grozer.
The Family Touch
Grozer's story doesn't end with his sporting successes. His daughter Leana is already part of Germany's women's national team, while his wife Helena is a starter for the Czech Republic's national team. A curious moment occurred in VNL 2025 when the two faced each other from opposite sides of the net in an official match – a unique case in world volleyball.
The Bulgarian Connection
Bulgaria remembers the name Grozer well. In 2012, during the Olympic qualifiers for London, Germany won 3:1 in Sofia, and it was Grozer who, with his devastating serves, literally "dismantled" the Bulgarians' game.
Years later, however, came the rematch. At the 2015 European Championship in Bulgaria, our national team eliminated Germany in the quarterfinals in Sofia after a clean 3:0 victory (25:19, 25:23, 25:23) – one of the memorable moments for Bulgarian volleyball in the last decade.
photo: fivb.com
