- Commissioner’s statement on Ventura, Marte
- Ronnie O’Sullivan: Masters champion ‘felt so vulnerable’ in final
- Arron Fletcher Wins 2017 WSOP International Circuit Marrakech Main Event ($140,224)
- Smith challenges Warner to go big in India
- Moncada No. 1 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 2B Prospects list
- Braves land 2 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 2B Prospects list
- Kingery makes MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 2B Prospects list
- New Zealand wrap up 2-0 after Bangladesh implosion
- Mathews, Pradeep, Gunathilaka to return to Sri Lanka
- Elliott hopes for rain for Poli
2016 Review: Giani leads newcomers Slovenia to victory
- Updated: December 18, 2016
Lausanne, Switzerland, December 18, 2016 – Three teams made their FIVB Volleyball World League Group 3 debuts in 2016 – two of the three progressed to the final, and Slovenia came out on top.Led by legendary player Andrea Giani, now a coach, the 2015 European Championship runners-up claimed the title courtesy of victory over Germany in the final, who had finished third in the 2014 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship in Poland a year earlier. With Giani, Slovenia now have of the most successful players ever calling the shots from the sidelines. Giani won the World League seven times with Italy between 1991 and 2000, and was a world champion on three occasions.“Congratulations to my players. I’m very happy that we could win the gold medal in our first season. It was important that we played our best volleyball in the right moments. Germany was a very tough opponent,” said Giani. He has formed the Slovenian volleyball team into a top team, virtually from scratch. Last year, Slovenia won a sensational silver medal at the European Championship, defeating the likes of world champions Poland and Giani’s native Italy en route to the final. The Slovenians then made their debut in the FIVB World League this year – with spectacular success. The team suffered just one defeat in the preliminary round, in the form of a 3-1 loss to Greece – having already qualified for the Final Four. Slovenia then …
