The Serbian men's national team departed on Tuesday, September 9, for Manila, where they will participate in the FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship (September 12 28). The team will travel via Istanbul, and in Quezon City and Pasay City, they will compete against the strongest teams in the world.
Head coach Gheorghe Crețu named a squad of 14 players for the championship.
Among them is captain Marko Ivović, who is recovering from an injury and will most likely also be used in the libero role alongside Stefan Negić.
Due to injuries, experienced middle blocker Petar Krsmanović and outside hitter Vukašin Ristić remained out of the squad. The decision not to risk Krsmanović is a heavy blow, as he has been among the key figures in Serbia's game in recent years.
Serbia squad for the 2025 World Championship
| Position | Player |
|---|---|
| Setters | Nikola Jovović, Vuk Todorović |
| Opposites | Dražen Luburić, Dušan Nikolić |
| Liberos | Стефан Негич, Марко Ивович (опция) |
| Middle Blockers | Aleksandar Nedeljković, Nemanja Mašulović, Aleksandar Stefanović, Vladimir Gajović (replacing Krsmanović) |
| Outside Hitters | Marko Ivović, Miran Kujundžić, Pavle Perić, Veljko Mašulović, Nikola Brborić |
Serbia will rely on a well-balanced squad
a combination of experience and youth. The decision to use Ivović as a libero is interesting, a rare but tactically justified measure in case of personnel issues. Krsmanović's absence could prove crucial in the middle of the net, but the young middle blockers will have an opportunity to prove themselves.
It's noteworthy that the news of Krsmanović's absence comes a day after it became clear that Egypt will also be without its main middle blocker
Mohamed Adel ("Dola"), who was removed for disciplinary reasons.
Photos: Nikolay Varadinov and .volleyballworld.com
