VNL 2024

Waibl replaces Heynen at helm of Germany

Published 03:31, 22 Apr 2024

Alexander Waibl (source: cev.eu)

Germany’s national federation announced a change at the helm of the country’s women’s national team just days before the start of the 2024 Volleyball Nations League. Alexander Waibl will head coach the team this summer, after his predecessor, Belgian coach Vital Heynen, asked the federation to terminate his contract.

56-year-old Alexander Waibl has had previous coaching experience mostly in club volleyball, having guided Germany’s Dresdner Dresden since 2009. In that position, he claimed the CEV Challenge Cup, four German championship titles and four national cup trophies. He also coached the German U23 national team from 2020 to 2021.

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“The offer was, of course, extremely surprising,” Waibl told volleyball-verband.de. “It was always my dream to be a national team coach in Germany. For me, it is an honour to represent my country. We have very little time, but luckily I know all the players. The starting position is difficult, but we have the players, with whom we can do it. The goal is clear: we want to make the Olympics possible.”

The team started its preparations for the new season on April 20 in Kienbaum. The season will get underway with a friendly game against Romania on May 10 in Potsdam.

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Germany, who finished last year’s VNL in eighth place, will open their 2024 campaign on May 15 against newcomers France. During the first competition week in Antalya, Türkiye, Waibl’s squad will also take on Italy, Japan and the Netherlands. The Germans will then fly to Arlington, USA for games against Türkiye, Canada, Poland and Bulgaria. For the last week of the Preliminary Phase, they will travel to Hong Kong, where they will meet Dominican Republic, Brazil, hosts China and Thailand, hoping to qualify for the VNL Finals in Bangkok from June 20 to 23 and the Olympic Games in Paris from July 26 to August 11. Germany are currently number 12 in the FIVB Volleyball World Ranking.