21-JUNE-2012
PORTUGAL IN SEARCH OF FIRST
WORLD LEAGUE WIN IN GUIMARÃES

Portugal coach Flavio Gulinelli said he wonders which team will suffer defeat at the hands of his team at the official press conference on Thursday, ahead of the Pool D action in Guimarães, Portugal.

From six matches so far, Portugal have only won three sets in their six straight defeats but now are looking to have the benfit of their home crowd to open their 2012 World League account.

Flavio Gulinelli, Portugal coach: “Our goals maintain: to work and play each day a little better. Until now, these goals have been more or less fulfilled, since in Argentina we were able to win one set to each of the other teams. But is clear that the players want more than that, even more in front of their crowd and we will see who will lose against us. I hope that these three days have always a full house and enthusiasm, since we will present young players, that will be very important for the
future of the Portuguese volleyball."

The quotes from the other coaches were:
Vital Heynes, Germany coach: “We are very happy to be here in Guimarães, even though I don’t personally have good memories since I lost here when I was with Noliko Maaseik. We are here to play our best, to continue to win against Argentina and Portugal and try to win against Bulgaria. Seriously this tournament is a great opportunity to prepare for the Olympics, but I have to be honest, since Germany never reached a final phase of the World League and the players want to be one of the six teams qualified for the final in Bulgaria."

Juan Manuel Barrial, Argentina coach: “We will play this tournament match by match. We travelled to Portugal with a younger team and our experienced players remained in Argentina to prepare for the Olympics. We had to decide if we would face dozens of hours travelling or if we would come play with a younger team. It was a tough decision, but we had no other solution if we wanted to reach our goals."

Nayden Naidenov, Bulgaria coach: “This tournament is very important to us since we have a young team, still growing and that happens in big matches and great teams. This team is the future of our national team and of the next generation of volleyball players. In what regards the challenge made by Vital Heynen, we will speak in another press conference... the one held after our match with Germany (laugh). Our situation is different from the other teams, since we are already qualified for the final phase of the World League, as organisers. Our more experienced players stayed in Sofia, preparing for the fourth round of the intercontinental round and the final phase. We are here with a young team, wishful in demonstrating their value and making the best result possible."

All in attendance at the press conference were Anibal Rocha, director of “Tempo Livre“ and representative of Guimarães City Hall and Teodemiro Carvalho, the general secretary of the Portuguese Volleyball Federation.

Ms Rocha highlighted the tradition that Guimarães, a European Capital of Culture, has in volleyball, having hosted back World League matches in 2002 and 2005 and a European Qualification Tournament in 2004.

Teodemiro Carvalho congratulated "Argentina, Germany and Bulgaria for their qualification for the Olympic Games. Having here three teams that will be in London 2012 demonstrates the high level of volleyball that will be played at the “Multiusos de Guimarães” and will be a great challenge for the Portuguese team, that will count upon, surely, with the support of a warm crowd."