Guaguas excited to play against Italian giants in #CEVCupM quarterfinals
News
Three decades have passed since the last visit of a representative of the elite Italian national league to the Canary Islands. The Centro Insular de Deportes (CID) de Gran Canaria will host a match of the highest European level on Wednesday, February 2 at 19:30 local time, in the first leg of the quarterfinals of the men’s CEV Cup. Hosts CDV Guaguas LAS PALMAS will be playing Italy’s standout Vero Volley MONZA.
This is a unique occasion for all Volleyball fans in general to enjoy a match of the highest level against one of the representatives of what many regard as the top Volleyball league in the world.
A lot has happened in Gran Canaria since that distant Wednesday, February 23, 1993, when Maxicono PARMA visited the Centro Insular de Deportes de Gran Canaria, becoming the last Italian league team to play on the island, in a match scheduled for the CEV Champions Cup. That legendary Spanish team coached by Juanma Martín featured two players who still have much to do with the home side: current head coach Sergio Miguel Camarero and Paco Sánchez Jover.
CDV Guaguas pulled off the big surprise by beating the Italians; however, the victory of Belgian team Maes Pils ZELLIK by 3-2 against Mladost Zagreb left the yellow team out of the Final Four, despite having been able to beat the Italian giants.
29 years later, the CID will once again open its doors to host a decisive clash between teams from Gran Canaria and Italy for a place in the semi-final of a continental competition, with the return match due to take place in Monza.
CDV Guaguas: ready for the next level
The first leg of the CEV Cup quarterfinals comes as the Spaniards have completed a clean sweep of all the matches they have contested in 2022 so far. CDV Guaguas want to continue their European journey but they find a hard nut to crack in Vero Volley MONZA. The hosts are the current leaders of the Spanish national league with 39 points, three more than Unicaja Costa de ALMERIA that would regain the lead if they win two matches postponed due to COVID-19 disruptions. After exiting the early stages of the CEV Champions League, LAS PALMAS reached the quarterfinals of the CEV Cup after defeating Slovenia’s Calcit KAMNIK and two Belgian teams – VT Decospan MENEN and Volley Haasrode LEUVEN.
Vero Volley MONZA: Italian pedigree
To talk about Italy is to talk about one of the best leagues in the world alongside Russia and Poland; a country that breathes Volleyball and in which there are some of the best players in the world. The sport has evolved a lot in the last three decades, but the Italians are still a reference on the global stage. The team coached by Massimo Eccheli does not know yet if they can count on György Grozer, who suffered an injury while playing against SK ANKARA in the previous round. Whether the German opposite hitter will be available or not, MONZA will remain a fearsome rival.
Monza are currently lying in seventh place in the Italian SuperLega, with a record of eight wins and 10 losses, including the last three matches in a row – all coinciding with Grozer’s absence and his recovery from injury.
Coach and players are confident of causing a sensation
Sergio Miguel Camarero, head coach of Guaguas: “We are expecting a very difficult game, because we are facing a team from what is probably the best league in the world. We are going to come up against a tough team that is quite strong in all its lines. Despite this, we are aware that we are going through a great moment and that we are capable of causing a surprise, especially if we have the support of our fans cheering us on in the same way as they did the other day against Almería.”
Sergio Miguel Camarero“We have our chances in a match that will be complicated, but we have a great team and we are strong at home, so we are going to go all out, putting that fighting spirit that Guaguas always has on the court and with the help of our fans, we will try to have the upper hand. We are working hard to be able to take that first step this Wednesday and enter the game as good as we can.”
Head coach of CDV Guaguas LAS PALMAS
Guilherme Magnani Hage, player of Guaguas: “We are going through a very good moment, growing in every game as a team and as a group. To talk about Monza is to talk about a team whose players play in the strongest league in the world, so I think we are going to experience another great game. They are coming from a run of defeats in their league, but they are an Italian team, which makes them a strong team, with a very powerful serve and very organised in their blocking-defence to be very dangerous on the counterattack.”
Guilherme Magnani Hage“The keys are to bring out our best serve and be well-organised in defence, because that’s what will allow us to balance the game and have our chances of winning the match. Regardless of the identity of our opponents and their potential, you win or lose on the court. Any labels of pre-favourites are worthless in the match, in the end you always have to prove it out there. In this first home game we need our fans, who are able to annoy the opponents and give us the extra energy we always need.”
Player of CDV Guaguas LAS PALMAS
“We need them to come and support us, because the more fans that come, the more they will help us and it can make the difference in our favour in this game. The second leg in Italy is going to be similar to what we will experience here on Wednesday. We will also need to be very tidy in defence and serve very well, as well as being able to cope with the pressure.”