The national volleyball team has a long summer ahead – the head coach comments on Lauri Kerminen’s situation: “We are in favor of the union’s decision”

The national team starts the Golden League on Saturday with a match against Estonia. The season also includes the European Championship and the Olympic qualifier. Lauri Kerminen is still excluded from the national team.

shows Finland’s games in the volleyball Golden League: on Saturday Estonia-Finland from 20:50 on TV2 and Areena.

The Finnish men’s national volleyball team starts its game in the Golden League on Saturday in Tartu with a match against Estonia.

Renewed his contract with the Russian Dynamo Moscow Lauri Kerminen is still not in the “Brothers” lineup. Kerminen was dismissed from the national team last summer because he continued to play in Russia after the country attacked Ukraine.

Head coach of the national team Joel Banks says that he is in regular contact with the long-term star libero of the national team.

– We respect Lauri and his actions in the national team. We have an open dialogue. We are not closing the door completely, but in the current situation we are in favor of the union’s decision, says Banks.

Banks approached the Volleyball Federation last summer to get clarity on the situation. The association decided to ban Kerminen from national team activities.

Another missing player in the team is passari, who played a great season Eemi Terportti. Terportti won the Polish championship in the ranks of Jastrzebski Wegiel, and achieved silver in the Champions League.

– Eemi said that her desire and commitment to the national team is clear. He asked to have the early summer off to recover from a tough season. I think it’s a logical decision.

Terportortti wants to aim for a place in the team later in the summer for the European Championships and the Olympic qualifiers.

The games are getting tougher

The national team’s summer is getting long. The resistance gets tougher step by step: After the Golden League, the games continue in the European Championships, and the season culminates in the Olympic qualifiers in Japan in September-October.

In the Golden League, the team’s oldest player is the captain born in 1996 Antti Ronkainen. There are eight players born in the 21st century. The goal of the young team is to improve match by match.

– The European Championships will be the first for many. We have to use the time in the Golden League to develop towards the European Championships. The European Championships will give us valuable experience for the Olympic qualifiers in Japan, says Banks.

According to Banks, the national team took good steps last year. Finland cleared its way to the European Championships and reached the final of the Silver League.

– Last summer it seemed that we were hungry. Playing in the Golden League at the beginning of the summer is just the right place for us.

According to Banks, the team will focus on developing their own game in the Golden League so that the team can reach its potential. Nobody’s place is certain for the late summer and fall games.

– Competition for playing spots is healthy and makes everyone give their best.

Finland will face Estonia, the Czech Republic and Slovakia twice in Group C of the Golden League. The last match of the group will be played on June 17.

– It is important to learn to play such matches with the national team. We want to be competitive and win every time we play. It will be interesting to see how our level is enough against Estonia, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.