Andrea Anastasi watches the FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship in Gdansk
Gdansk, Poland, September 6, 2014 – Andrea
Anastasi have been regularly following the matches in Pool C of the FIVB
Volleyball Men’s World Championship, the Italian coach shares his thoughts on
the matches at Ergo Arena.Anastasi is one of the most memorable
personalities in Polish volleyball, the coach had been part of one of the
golden moments of the Poland men’s national team, winning a bronze and gold
medals at the FIVB Volleyball World League, and a bronze medal at the European
Championship.With his experience, he knows very well the
drift in the performances of teams at this stage of the competition.“In the beginning of every tournament, the
underdog teams always play better,” Anastasi said. “Canada, for example, won
against Bulgaria and it’s not a surprise. Glenn Hoag is one of the best coaches
in the world and he is doing a great job with his team. This tournament is long
and you need to be patient and control your emotions.”He was neither surprised with the first set
loss of Russia to Mexico but believes that the competition will become tougher
as it progresses.“That loss of Russia to Mexico is somehow
likely to happen because of some difficult moments in a match,” Anastasi
explained. “I believe next week will be more crucial for the more experienced
teams. At this stage, I don’t find any major upsets in Pool C.”The coach also mentioned that experienced
teams should not misjudge the potential strength of underdog teams.“I am impressed with the way Mexico played
against Russia in the first set,” Anastasi said. “They were a bit uptight during
the start but the fans helped them calm down and were able to perform well
against a strong team like Russia.”As for his mission in the beautiful city of
Gdansk, Anastasi is preparing for a new season with the Polish club LOTOS Trefl
Gdansk. For Anastasi, the new task is a challenge not to be feared as the club
finished at the bottom of the standings of the Polish Plusliga.“I am excited and motivated,” Anastasi said
about the new project in Trefl Gdansk. “The club management have provided
suitable conditions for me to handle the team. They gave me a free hand to
choose the players and they put a lot of trust in me. We will try to find good
players within our means. I think the main challenge here is to find the
players who can play in my system.”The coach has realistic goals and is aware
of the club team’s chances in the league.“It is impossible to build a team in one
year,” Anastasi said. “Our goal for this season is to grow as a team and lay
the grounds for the future”