Golden Euroleague: where to watch the matches of the Ukrainian national team
17 May 2024 18:06
On Saturday, 18 May, both Ukrainian national volleyball teams, men’s and women’s, will start their season in the Golden Euroleague, an annual competition among European volleyball teams.
This year’s Euroleague has changed the format of the competition compared to previous seasons. Now teams will compete not in separate groups of 3-4 teams, but in one championship of 12 teams. The top 4 teams, based on the results of the regular season, will play in the Final Four.
Men’s Euroleague
The men’s national team of Ukraine is approaching the competition in a somewhat “disassembled” format. The team has a new coach – instead of Latvian Ugis Kristins, it is now coached by Argentine Raul Lozano. However, it was after this appointment that eight leading players refused to play for the national team. Although most of them presented the Volleyball Federation with injury certificates, it is clear that there is a conflict in the national team. In particular, this year its leader and captain, Oleg Plotnitsky, a reserve player for the Italian club Perugia, will not play for it.
“We are resting now. I have a few ideas, but I can’t talk about them. I want to recover. I need to check my knees, again. And in general, to be checked after the season, it seems to me that it was a bit heavy. I will not come there [to the Ukrainian national team]. Both the team and the management know this. At the moment, I think it’s better to take a break,”
– commented the former captain.
The federation’s leadership is dissatisfied with the situation and even promises to impose sanctions on the “evaders”. However, the national team has now been formed from other players.
The composition of the Ukrainian national team
- Connectors: Serhiy Yevstratov (Prometheus), Dmytro Dolgopolov (Pafiakos, Cyprus).
- Outside hitters: Dmytro Yanchuk (Prometheus), Yevhen Kisilyuk, Oleksandr Nalozhnyi (both Epicentr-Podoliany), Mykyta Luban (Zhytychi-Polesia).
- Central blockers: Yuriy Semenyuk (Project Warsaw, Poland), Maksym Drozd, Oleksandr Koval (both Epicentr-Podolyany), Denys Veletskyi (Prometheus), Mykola Rudnytskyi (Zhytychi-Polesia).
- Diagonal: Dmytro Shapoval (Prometheus), Viktor Shapoval (Zhytychi-Polesia), Danylo Uryvkin (Epicentre-Podoliany).
- Liberal: Oleksandr Boyko (Prometheus), Yaroslav Pampushko (Barkom-Kazhany).
Only 5 players from the previous team remained in the national team: Dmytro Yanchuk, Yevhen Kisilyuk, Yurii Semeniuk, Maksym Drozd and Oleksandr Boyko.
The format of the competition
The following teams will compete in the Men’s Golden Euroleague 2024:
- Ukraine;
- Belgium
- Croatia;
- Czech Republic;
- Estonia;
- Finland;
- Luxembourg;
- North Macedonia;
- Portugal;
- Romania;
- Spain.
However, Ukraine will not play all the participants. According to the tournament rules, each team will play 6 matches against teams of different levels. Each team will host one tournament at home with the participation of two other teams, and will also go to two similar away tournaments. Of course, this does not apply to the national teams of Ukraine, which will play their “home” tournaments in one of the friendly countries.
Match schedule and broadcasts
Ukraine will play the following matches in the regular season:
- 18 May, 17:00 (Kyiv time): Ukraine – Romania (hosted by Azerbaijan);
- 19 May, 17:00: Azerbaijan – Ukraine (Azerbaijan);
- 25 May, 21:30: Ukraine – Czech Republic (Luxembourg);
- 26 May, 19:30: Luxembourg – Ukraine (Luxembourg);
- 31 May, 21:00: Portugal – Ukraine (Ukraine);
- 2 June, 21:00: Ukraine – Belgium (Ukraine).
The official broadcaster of the tournament in Ukraine is Suspilne Sport. The national team’s matches can be watched on the Suspilne Sport TV channel, on regional channels and on the Suspilne website. In addition, Euroleague matches can be watched on the DiviSport YouTube channel.
Women’s Euroleague
The women’s national team is calmer. Last season, it was Ukraine that won the tournament, and this year the winning team was retained. Therefore, the national team is determined to achieve the maximum result this year.
“In any tournament, you have to strive for the best result. Last year we did a good job and won. We will try to do the same now. Especially since the team composition is basically the same and the players have become more experienced. We also want to please the Ukrainian fans, who really need positive emotions in these difficult times for the country,”
– commented Ivan Petkov, head coach of the women’s national team.
Competition format
The following teams will compete in the Women’s Golden Euroleague 2024:
- Ukraine;
- Belgium
- Croatia
- Czech Republic;
- Sweden;
- Slovenia;
- Slovakia;
- Azerbaijan;
- Romania;
- Estonia;
- Austria;
- Spain.
As in the case of the men’s national team, the women’s national team will play six matches against opponents of varying difficulty.
The composition of the Ukrainian national team
- Passers: Daria Shargorodska (SC Prometheus*), Victoria Oliynyk (SC Prometheus).
- Libero: Krystyna Nemtseva (SC Prometheus), Kateryna Vasylieva (SC Prometheus).
- Central blockers: Svitlana Dorsman (SC Prometheus), Diana Meliushkina (SC Prometheus), Anastasia Mayevska (SC Prometheus), Kristina Starostenko (VC Bukovynka).
- Players: Oleksandra Milenko (Nilufer Turkey), Yulia Dymar (Kuanysh Kazakhstan), Yevheniia Khober (SC Prometheus), Viktoriia Lokhmanchuk (VC Bukovyna).
- Diagonal: Anastasia Krayduba (Firenze Italy), Anna Artyshuk (Olomouc Czech Republic).
Match schedule and broadcasts
Ukraine will play the following matches in the regular season:
- 18 May, 16:00 (Kyiv time): Ukraine vs Slovenia;
- 19 May, 17:00: Ukraine vs Estonia;
- 25 May, 19:00: Ukraine – Slovakia;
- 26 May, 19:00: Ukraine – Austria;
- 31 May, 18:00: Ukraine – Czech Republic;
- 2 June, 18:00: Ukraine vs Belgium.
Suspilne Sport is also the official broadcaster of the tournament in Ukraine. The national team’s matches can be watched on the Suspilne Sport TV channel, on regional channels and on the Suspilne website. In addition, Euroleague matches can be watched on the DiviSport YouTube channel.
