"The Reds" are currently the first on the table after they defeated Iceland twice with 3:0, Slovakia at home with 3:0, and the only defeat was at home against Moldavia with 3:2, in the match they led 2: 0 in sets.
"The results are excellent, Montenegro has a realistic chance to qualify for the European Championship, which the team realistically deserves," says Veselin Vukovic, Montenegro's first coach as an independent state.
There are two more matches ahead of Montenegro on January 5th against Slovakia and on January 9th against Moldavia in Budva.
For the first place, it is necessary to win against Slovakia, for the second a triumph against Moldavia in the last round is sufficient. Regarding the events in other groups, the victory against Moldova will be enough for Montenegro to be one of the five best second-placed selections (from the seven groups), which also go to the Euros.
"We should have a professional approach in the last round of the matches, there is nothing to be left to the case," warns the experienced coach.
Seasons have started in all leagues across Europe, and many members of Montenegro's volleyball team has yet to find a club - some are in negotiations, but those currently without a club are Simo Dabović, Milos Culic, Aleksandar Minić, Božidar Ćuk, and Luka Šuljagic.
"I honestly did not know that these players did not have contracts at the moment, which I consider being a big problem, primarily for them and then for the national team, especially because of the fact that I think they have the quality, I want them to find an engagement as soon as possible and have a successful season, both in the club and the national team," says Vukovic.
For Vukovic, the new season begins in Japan. The club from Hiroshima was third last season in the championship, and missed the match in the final against the Gosei team (26:24), following the misfortune due to the injury of the only foreigner in the team, the Australian corrector Tomas Edgar who did not play in that match.
PHOTO: Private archive
Bearing in mind that we were the youngest team in the league and the fact that we were seriously handicapped in the final, the third place was a great success. This season in Japan is an open possibility for the clubs to engage another foreigner, but from the Asian countries, China, Korea, China, Taipei, Indonesia...
"We took advantage of this opportunity and engaged Libina Liu, the Chinese receiver player, who is a dominant attacker, and that profile was needed because we did not have a tall and strong attacker at that point since Košikava left. I hope he will succeed in adapting and do what we expect from him, especially because he has played great for his team at the World Cup. We are still the youngest team in the league, and I hope the most successful one. Every team goes for the victory and if there will be no surprises my opinion is that Panasonik, Tojoda, Tore Arovs and our team will fight for the title," concluded Vukovic.
Vukovic has already become the coach with the most trophies in the history of the Tanders.
He has won four trophies (out of seven in the club’s history) in a total of seven finals.
The most important cup for the first Montenegrin coach is the championship title in 2015, the first and only one in almost nine decades of the club’s history.
He also won the Cup of Japan (Cup Cara) in 2014, and two Kurovašiki Cups (2016, 2017).
Text by Sasa Joncic, on October 26th 2018, read more at Vijesti
