Vital Heynen certainly landed one of the hottest jobs in volleyball as the recently announced head coach of the Polish Men’s National Team, which is by far the most prestigious team he has ever coached. Besides now leading the current World Champions, Heynen will also work with, from 2019 onwards, none other than Wilfredo Leon, the world’s best volleyball player. Leon, who defected from Cuba, has been a Polish citizen since 2015, and will be able to play for his new country from July of next year.
Heynen cannot hide his excitement with the fact, and wishes to train his new superstar player much earlier than 2019, if possible:
“I am in constant contact with Leon. We talk and we have great relationship. He gives me very good and clever ideas. I am sure that he will appear in Spała. I told him that if he wants, he can train with us. It depends on him. But he will definitely come to a training camp and will be in the League of Nations. This will allow us to think of him as a member of this team. It is very important for me to treat him as part of this team also from the human side. From a sporting point of view, my job is to make every volleyball player better. If it works, the whole team will be better. But of course, I will not devote all my work on the team to Leon, who will join us next year. No. I want every volleyball player to be better and this will create a better team, regardless of who will be on the court.”
This must be a bittersweet situation for Heynen indeed, knowing the best player in the world is a lock for your roster, but taht you will only be able to play him in about an year and a half. The bad part of this deal is that Leon is by far much better than any current Polish option in Heynen’s squad. The new coach must know that if he had Leon already for this year’s FIVB World Champion, the Polish team would be a heavy favorite for the title.
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