Raul Lozano Blasts FIVB VNL’s 15 Matches On 5 Weeks Schedule

While the VNL is a major treat for volleyball fans all over the world, with 15 matches on multiple continents over five weeks, there is no question that coaches must not be so thrilled with the competition’s taxing schedule. Take for example Korea’s men’s team, which lost a connecting flight to Brazil and arrived in the country only one day prior to the start of its pool.

Needless to say, coaches have been vocal about the organization of the tournament. Brazil’s Renan Dal Zotto was the first to mouth off his discontentment, dubbing it as “inhuman.” China’s coach, the Argentine Raul Lozano was next in line:

“This system is crazy! In league play, we play 15 games in a few months and do not travel all over the world, don’t have to change time zones. After spending 8-10 hours on a plane, we quickly have to switch to a new time zone, function in a new place. I take a 14-player roster to each pool, what if one of the players gets injured? This format of games does not suit me, especially when the world championships are two months off.”

While Brazil started the VNL well, amassing a 4-1 record so far, Lozano’s Chinese squad is faring much worse with an 1-4 record.

Brazilian Men’s National Team Calls #NVL Slate “Inhuman”