Azerbaijan men's national volleyball team head coach Boris Grebennikov has admitted that his side currently lags behind its opponents in physical preparation following two consecutive defeats in the European League.
As reported by İdman.Biz, Grebennikov stressed that the team's main objective this season is to integrate young players into the national squad and build a foundation for future success.
"The most important task this season is to integrate young players into the team and gradually replace athletes who represented the national side in previous years. We have accelerated this process by bringing four promising 18-year-old players into the squad. This is the beginning of a new era for the team, and difficult matches are necessary to gain experience and understand the direction in which we need to develop," the coach said to Report.
Grebennikov acknowledged that Azerbaijan currently falls short of all its opponents physically but believes the gap can be overcome through technical improvement, tactical variety and more precise execution on the court.
The coach also pointed out that a new coaching staff, a different playing philosophy and significant roster changes require time to produce results. According to him, around 30 percent of the squad has been renewed as the team enters a new stage of development.
Despite the disappointing results, Grebennikov praised the atmosphere within the squad, highlighting the strong relationship between experienced players and younger teammates. He believes the combination of youth and experience will eventually help Azerbaijan become more competitive on the international stage.
Azerbaijan lost its last two European League matches 0-3 against Sweden and Greece.
