Above: BR Volleys Berlin BRV vs. VfB Friedrichshafen (April 15, 2024)
VfB Friedrichshafen had to be patient for a year – now the German runner-up is returning to the European volleyball stage. “Everyone is looking forward to this comeback,” said managing director Thilo Späth-Westerholt sid.
But instead of the Champions League, coach Adam Swaczyna’s team will play against Mladost Zagreb in the second-tier CEV Cup from Wednesday (4:30 p.m.). They were downgraded because the hall capacity of their own Spacetech Arena does not meet the requirements of the premier class.
“In terms of sport, we would have qualified for the Champions League again, but we still don’t have a hall that can accommodate 2,500 spectators,” explains Späth-Westerholt. For the same reason, Friedrichshafen was forced to withdraw from the Champions League last year. “It was extremely painful for everyone involved,” says the VfB managing director: “But in the end it was unavoidable.”
The costs of renting third-party halls such as the Ratiopharm Arena in Neu-Ulm are simply too high for the club. According to Späth-Westerholt, around 30,000 euros per home game would have been due – “economically unaffordable”. In coordination with the European association CEV, VfB “tried everything,” says the 37-year-old, but ultimately the club did not receive approval for its own arena, which has space for 1,000 fans.
And this season too, the unchanged indoor situation is destroying Friedrichshafen’s ambitions. “We were able to prepare for a year so that even if we qualified again in sport, the Champions League would not be possible for us, at least at the moment,” says Späth-Westerholt calmly. They have been getting over the disappointment for a long time and have been working towards being able to compete in the CEV Cup.
Participation in the second highest European competition was not possible last season – too short notice. The current hall would not have met all the requirements, explains the former national player: “The anticipation therefore outweighs.” In the future, of course, the 13-time German champion sees himself in the Champions League again: “At the moment we have to accept the situation as it is she is,” says Späth-Westerholt. First of all, VfB wants to “get as far as possible” in the CEV Cup because: “We don’t have to hide internationally.”
