Giannelli and Russo’s Italy, Leon and Semeniuk’s Poland and Ropret’s Slovenia overcome the quarter-finals with thrills and enter the PalaEur matches where the medals of the continental event will be awarded.
The quarter-finals of the current men’s European Championships have been completed and five Block Devils still remain in contention for the continental gold race.
Slovenia takes the pass to the semi-final led by Gregop Ropret who in the quarter-final match played on Monday in Varna beats Ukraine led by a super Oleh Plotnytskyi (20 points with 4 aces) in four very balanced and uncertain sets. For Slovenia, this is the fourth qualification for the continental semi-finals in the last five editions.
Qualification for the semi-final also for the Poland of Wilfredo Leon (19 winning balls) and Kamil Semeniuk (7 points) who beat a tough Serbia in four sets in the quarter-final played yesterday at the PalaFlorio in Bari after a splendid and balanced sporting battle. For the battleship led on the bench by Nikola Grbic, third consecutive qualification in the top four in Europe with the aim of improving the last two third places of the 2019 and 2021 editions.
Italy’s Simone Giannelli (4 points on the scoresheet) and Roberto Russo (2 ground balls) also enter the top four at the last gasp. The Azzurri prevailed in the tie break after a thousand emotions against an excellent Netherlands despite the ankle injury suffered by the Palermo central defender who had to leave the field and remains in strong doubt for the semi-final. Captain Giannelli and his teammates, reigning champions, therefore continue their march to the enthusiasm of all the Italian volleyball people who are filling the playing facilities with passion.
The European caravan now moves towards the last stage, the most beautiful and fascinating.
From tomorrow the lights will be on at the PalaEur in Rome for the two semi-finals.
In the first scheduled at 6.00 pm they will face Slovenia and Poland with the Poles who will try to reverse the trend after the last two European semi-finals lost against Slovenia in the 2019 and 2021 editions. Ropret and his teammates will instead try to make the saying count “there’s no two without three”.
In the second semi-final at 9.15pm, however, the capital’s public will try to push Italy into the super challenge against France. The Olympic champions, the World champions and the reigning European champions will be on the field in a single match. It’s really difficult to think of something better for the palates of volleyball fans.
The two medal finals are scheduled for Saturday 16 September.
