Guidetti is confident his team will do well in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament
Lausanne, Switzerland, May 12, 2016 – Netherlands coach Giovanni Guidetti has a fully fit squad for the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Tokyo.
“I believe this team will get Rio,” the Italian said. “But there are many dangerous opponents and there are no easy games.”
Eight countries will be competing for four tickets to the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, but one of those tickets is reserved for the top Asian country.
While remaining confident, Guidetti points out that with only half a week of preparation time, things won’t be easy for his players.
“Some opponents finished their leagues one month ago already because they see it’s an important tournament,” Guidetti stated. “The European leagues take no account of this.”
The Dutch team will also have to contend with a variety of playing styles in their opponents.
“We’ll be facing five different styles of volleyball during this Olympic Qualifying Tournament,” Guidetti points out. “That’s something we are not used to and it’s something we will have to adapt to.”
The tournament in Japan starts for the Netherlands with a game against Kazakhstan on 14 May. The final match is on May 22 against the host country. After that, the players go to the Montreux Masters in Switzerland and in June will have at least nine games in the FIVB World Grand Prix – more if they reach the Final Round.