Nantes (AFP)
The champion gives up his trophy: Russia, defending champion and often cited among the favorites of the tournament, lost Monday night in the quarterfinals of the European Championship of volleyball in Ljubljana against Slovenia, and leaves his throne vacant.
The first semi-final of the Euro-2019 will oppose Ljubljana on Thursday night the Slovenians, worn by the nearly 12,000 spectators of the Stozice Arena, Poles, double world champions in title (2014 and 2018), and favorites for a place in the final in Paris on Sunday (5:30 pm).
Russians and Slovenians had faced each other in the group stage in Ljubljana, and the European champions in 2017 had taken the measure of their hosts in three dry sets (25-21, 25-21, 25-21), a game without a stake since both teams were sure to finish in the first two places.
"With this audience, we knew they could not repeat their performance in the first round, we managed to serve them better, we played smarter than in the group stage," commented the former Paris Volley, Mitja Gasparini, author of 12 points in the match, won by Slovenia 3 sets to 1 ((25-23, 25-22, 21-25, 25-21).
The Russians multiplied the net faults in the fourth set, leaving the Slovenians ignite the Stozice Arena by taking off (15-10 and 19-14) and did not crack on the end.
The last nation to retain its title remains Italy, which made the European double 2003/2005.
To play a second European final after 2015, the Slovenians will have to get rid of Poland, which continued its rise by surpassing Germany, vice-champion of Europe in 2017 in three small runs (25-19, 25-21, 25-18) in just over an hour and a quarter (81 minutes).
With since this summer the best player in the world, the naturalized Cuban Wilfredo Leon, Poland, already assured of competing for the Olympic Games in 2020 in Tokyo, is looking for a second European title after 2009.
The last two quarters are against Serbia on Wednesday night against Ukraine in Antwerp (8.30 pm) and France against Italy for the clash between the 2015 European champion and the 2016 Olympic vice champion, still Wednesday night in Nantes. (2100).
© 2019 AFP