Somewhat silently compared to the expensive paychecks in Russia, Italy and Poland, the German Bundesliga is ready to launch a new campaign this Monday. Several months after Berlin Recycling Volleys were crowned German champions in Unterhaching for the fourth time in history the new championship starts with a series of entertaining derbies.

In today’s edition of the Bundesliga Report we present to you the title contenders and the most interesting signings during the summer in Germany. The race for the trophy is expected to be a battle involving the three Champions League participants which proved last year that there are very small level margins in between them.

THE CHAMPION

Berlin Recycling Volleys

A lot has been discussed at the end of the 2011-2012 season about the new German champion – the new project, the investments for the future success of the club, the weak start of the season and, of course, the amazing fifth final game in Unterhaching. Luckily for the Australian head coach Mark Lebedew, Berlin RV kept their main roster and will build on a solid team chemistry both in the domestic league and in their return in the Champions League. Someone who left the capital is the veteran setter and former captain Jaroslav Skach who has spent more than ten years in the Bundesliga and it was time for him to bid farewell. He will be replaced by the young 25-year-old setter from Mitteldeutschland Sebastian Kuehner (203 cm). The Berlin-born Kuehner will have a supporting role to the starter Kawika Shoji.

The other newcomer this year is actually someone who is not unknown in Berlin and to the German audience in general. The national team player Robert Kromm (played in Marmi Lanza Verona in Italy last year) signed with the champions to replace Urpo Sivula. Kromm was unlucky to stay out of the national team for the London Olympics, so he would surely be eager to show high level of volleyball and earn his place back in Vital Heynen’s Mannschaft.

The play-off hero Scott Touzinsky, who returned in Berlin in the middle of the last season to lead his teammates through the elimination bracket games, stays in the capital and has even been named the new team captain after the release of Jaroslav Skach.

Head coach: Mark Lebedew

Setters: Kawika Shoji (USA), Sebastian Kuehner
Outside hitters: Scott Touzinsky (USA), Robert Kromm, Roko Sikiric (Croatia), Bjorn Hoehne
Opposites: Aleksandar Spirovski (Serbia), Paul Carroll (Australia)
Middle blockers: Felix Fischer, Ricardo Galandi, Tomas Kmet (Slovakia)
Libero: Martin Krystof (Czech Republic)

Champions League opponents: Lokomotiv Novosibirsk (Russia), Budvanska Rivijera Budva (Montenegro), Jihostroj Ceske Budejovice (Czech Republic)

THE CUP HOLDER

VfB Friedrichshafen

The most dominant German team in recent history and 2007 Indesit Champions League Winner won “only” the German Pokal final against Unterhaching. There is no question that head coach Stelian Moculescu has one main goal this season – get his title back. The arrivals at Bodensee confirm the team’s goal. National team star middle blocker Max Gunthor returns to his home club after several seasons as a captain of Unterhaching. Usually among the most international teams in Europe, VfB allowed the Estonian opposite Oliver Venno to move to Budvanska Rivijera Budva in Montenegro. Three new opposites were chosen for the new season – the Austrian bomber Tomas Zass (from Paris Volley) who will be expected to bring the former champions back to their winning habbits, the Bulgarian-born veteran and ex-Italian national team player Ventsislav Simeonov (last year in Pallavolo Padova, first club for him abroad) and the promising Danish Junior national team star Peter Trolle Bonnesen who impressed the assistant coach Uwe Quell so much during both the Juior European Championship in Poland and Denmark and the trial sessions that he was offered a contract and a chance to develop in the first team. The arrival of all three of them was facilitated by the problems of Anastasios Aspiotis who had to remain in his homeland Greece longer than expected and will not be part of Friedrichshafen this year.

Head coach: Stelian Moculescu

Setters: Nikola Jovovic (Serbia), Juraj Zatko (Slovakia)
Outside hitters: Jose Rivera (Puerto Rico), Victor Batista (Dominican Republic), Idner Faustino Lima Martins ‘Idi’ (Brazil), Yannick Harms
Opposites: Tomas Zass (Austria), Ventsislav Simeonov (Italy), Peter Trolle Bonnesen (Denmark)
Middle blockers: Matthew Denmark (USA), Max Gunthor, Joao Jose (Portugal)
Liberos: Thilo Spaeth, Nikola Rosic (Serbia)

Champions League opponents: Zenit Kazan (Russia), Hypo Tirol Innsbruck (Austria), Knack Roeselare (Belgium)

THE RUNNER-UP

Generali Unterhaching

Haching remained with silver medals on their necks both in the German Cup and the Bundesliga. Only head coach Mihai Paduretu and his staff know how big the disappointment from the last season was. The Bayern team also had the biggest troubles of all three main title contenders on the transfer market. Having originally agreed terms with the American middle blocker Theodore Brunner (departing from CMC Ravenna), the board of Haching were stunned to find out during one of their routine medical tests that he has a heart problem which sets his professional sports life to a huge risk – something totally neglected and untested in Ravenna previously. The news came as a huge exclamation mark to the management of the vice-champions and they were forced to seek a quick solution at the end of the summer when most of the top international players had already been contracted. It was the Belgian Matias Raymaekers (from Belogorie, Russia) who was a free agent at the time to fill in the absence of Brunner.

Additionally, Unterhaching had to find replacements for Max Gunthor (to Friedrichshafen), Denis Kaliberda (Tonno Callipo Vibo Valentia in Italy), Freddy Cedeno and Thiago (both released, unknown clubs). Konstantin Shumov from the Finnish national team (Acqua Paradiso Monza Brianza) and the former Dutch international Jan Willem Snippe (NGM Mobile Santa Croce, Italian Serie A2) were the ones to be engaged.

The roster was reinforced by the ex-Haching setter Patrick Steuerwald who, having terminated his contract with the Polish Politechnika Warszawa, was a free agent and decided to return to the Bundesliga. Alike Robert Kromm, Steuerwald was also dropped from the London squad and will hope to get his national team spot back soon. However, he will first have to cope with the competition of Skladany and den Boer in Unterhaching.

Head coach: Mihai Paduretu

Setters: Huib den Boer (Netherlands), Patrick Steuerwald, Branislav Skladany (Slovakia)
Outside hitters: Jan Willem Snippe (Netherlands), Robert Hupka (Slovakia), Tom Strohbach, Alexander Shafranovich (Israel)
Opposites: Simon Hirsch, Christian Duennes
Middle blockers: Matias Raymaekers (Belgium), Konstantin Shumov (Finland), Roy Friedrich
Libero: Sebastian Pruesener

Champions League opponents: Lube Banca Marche Macerata (Italy), ACH Volley Bled (Slovenia), Euphony Asse-Lennik (Belgium)

THE UNDERDOGS

It would be considered quite a shock if any of these three favourites in Germany doesn’t make it to the semifinal play-offs in the spring. Apart from betting who the 2012-2013 German title winners will be, the bookmakers might also puzzle about the fourth semifinal spot. What happens below top three could be a mystery indeed, so I will try and drag your attention to two of the possible semifinalists.

Moerser SC

This is the team that made it last year to the semifinals. Led by the former Dutch international Michael Oliemann and the Australian outside hitter Steve Keir, Moerser surprised TV Buhl in the quarterfinals, but only to be stopped by Unterhaching later. The team released the veteran Dutch setter Dirk-Jan van Gendt and it will all be left down to the young Tobias Neumann to set his team to the semis. However, I doubt Moerser will have the potential for something more. Besides, Oliemann is no longer the same powerful left-hander that we once remembered.

TV Buhl

When it comes to surprises it is TV Buhl that we should first mention. They made a huge leap forward last year by finishing fourth in the regular season, but were eliminated by Moerser in the quarterfinals despite the more favourable play-off program. The Argentinian head coach Ruben Wolochin signed the Australian international and Olympic Games participant Adam White to strengthen his team’s attack. Another national team player – the Dutch middle blocker Bas van Bemmelen, and the Serbian setter Luka Cubrilo (both 204 cm tall) arrived in Buhl for the new season. The new names plus the new bigger sports hall should be a guarantee not only for more enthusiasm, but also for a possible semifinal spot and maybe even some points stolen from the favourites in the long run.

THE PROGRAM

Some interesting games are on offer right from the launch. On October 15th, Monday, the champions Berlin Recycling Volleys open up the new campaign at home versus VfB Friedrichshafen. On the following Wednesday is the other big first-round derby between TV Buhl and Generali Unterhaching. The great first week of actions will be closed on October 21st by a remake of the final with the second round game played in the Munich Olympic Sports Hall between the home side of Unterhaching and Berlin Recycling Volleys.

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