Romania women's national volleyball team head coach Guillermo Naranjo has described the upcoming match against Azerbaijan on August 24 as one of the particularly difficult encounters in the group stage of the European Championship in Baku.
According to İdman.Biz, the 49-year-old Spanish specialist, who is entering his fifth season in charge of Romania, is particularly wary of the clash with the host nation.
"Azerbaijan are a very dangerous opponent. They are currently 47th in the world rankings because over the past two years they did not have a strong enough squad to compete in the European League and lost a lot of points. But at this tournament, we will face a completely different team," Naranjo said ahead of the continental championship.
The Romanian coach also highlighted several Azerbaijan players, noting that he knows Yelizaveta Ruban particularly well.
"Ruban is an excellent attacker. Last season she was my player at Alba Blaj. Together we won the league title and the Cup and reached the CEV Cup final. She is a very good player. There is also Polina Rahimova, whom everyone knows, and middle blocker Ayshan Abdulazimova. This is a very strong team," Naranjo said.
He also stressed that playing on home soil would give Azerbaijan an additional advantage.
"They are playing at home, so this match will definitely not be easy. If you lose to a team ranked 47th in the world, you lose a lot of ranking points. That's why this is a very difficult match. There is a lot to lose in this game... and also a lot to gain," the Romania coach added.
Naranjo noted that the group, which also includes Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain and Portugal, represents a serious challenge not only in terms of qualifying for the playoffs but also with regard to the world rankings.
Romania hope to collect enough ranking points to secure a place at the next major global tournament.
Naranjo also said his team's preparations for the European Championship have been intensive. Romania played friendly matches against Ukraine and the Czech Republic, teams competing at Volleyball Nations League level. They also faced an Italian side in Milan made up mainly of players competing in Serie A1.
"I hope we arrive in Baku in good shape, healthy and without any physical problems. We will see," Naranjo concluded.
