Cretu announces Slovenia’s roster for 2024 season

The head coach of the Slovenian men’s national team, Gheorghe Cretu, has announced the list of 17 players he counts on for this year’s national team season. Team Slovenia will compete in the elite Volleyball Nations League and strive to secure their first-ever appearance at the Olympic Games via the FIVB World Ranking. 

The players will gather for the VNL preparations on Monday, May 6, and will remain practicing in Ljubljana until departing for Türkiye, where they will compete in the opening tournament from May 22 to 26. From Antalya, the team will head directly to Fukuoka, Japan, where the second tournament will take place from June 5 to 9, followed by another volleyball spectacle in the Stožice Hall, where the Slovenian team will face Argentina, Cuba, Italy, and Serbia in front of their home fans. The third leg of the VNL regular season will be held from June 18 to 23 in Ljubljana. 

The 2024 edition of the VNL holds extra significance for the Slovenian team, as this truly special generation of players who have impressed with four medals at the European Championships and many other outstanding results will aim to secure their first-ever appearance at the Olympic Games through the competition. 

The Romanian volleyball expert sitting on the Slovenian bench, Gheorghe Cretu, expects 17 players to attend the preparations - setters Dejan Vinčić, Gregor Ropret, and Uroš Planinšič; opposites Nik Mujanović and Tonček Štern; middle blockers Alen Pajenk, Jan Kozamernik, Sašo Štalekar, and Janž Janez Kržič; outside hitters Tine Urnaut, Klemen Čebulj, Rok Možič, Matej Kök, Žiga Štern, and Rok Bračko; and liberos Jani Kovačič and Urban Toman. 

Cretu, who took over the Slovenian team just ahead of the 2022 FIVB World Championship held in Poland and Slovenia, will once again have all the top players at his disposal. It seems that they will arrive to the preparation camp in good shape, as they currently play important roles in their clubs both in Slovenia and abroad.