A new week of international commitments for three Block Devils with their respective national selections. The third week of Vnl starts tomorrow, the last week of qualification for the Final Eight and the Olympics.
After the mathematical qualification for Paris 2024 obtained last week, a rest period for the Azzurri Simone Giannelli and Roberto Russo. The Italian national team is on the field in the Pool of Ljubljana in Slovenia with the technical commissioner Fefè De Giorgi who has carried out an abundant turnover in the fourteen players called up, therefore also allowing the two Juventus standard-bearers to take a breather in view of the Olympics and a possible qualification for the Vnl Final Eight scheduled in Lodz, Poland from 27 to 30 June. Qualification which in this case is really very close for Italy which faces Poland, Bulgaria, Slovenia and Turkey and which is in command of the standings after the first two weeks with 7 victories, 21 points and 9 ahead of Argentina, currently first excluded from the Final Eight. Argentina which, with the new Juventus signing Agustin Loser on the pitch, is also on stage in Ljubljana. Different situation for the Albiceleste who are playing primarily for a place in Paris 2024. The South American team, currently the third of the qualifiers in terms of ranking, is not long away from obtaining the Olympic pass. The advantage to be managed in the last week over Cuba and Serbia is over 50 points, a couple of positive results to be obtained against Slovenia, Turkey, Bulgaria and Poland would put the plane ticket to France in the safe. Remaining in the VNL, Argentina is currently ninth in the standings with 12 points, 4 wins and 4 defeats and is racing against Cuba and Canada to enter the best eight of the competition.
As anticipated, Kamil Semeniuk’s Poland will also be in Ljubljana. Poland which has already had the Olympic pass in its hands for some time and also the pass for the Final Eight as host country. Nonetheless, the reigning European champions are coming off two good weeks and in the last one they want to finish on a high note and perhaps improve their current second place in the standings behind the Azzurri against Italy, Argentina, Serbia and Cuba.
