Press materials / CEV / In the photo: Polish volleyball national team and Gheorghe Creto
It was he who “invented” Łukasz Kaczmarek. Through his work at ZAKS, he left a mark in the history of Polish volleyball. To this day, players love him because he wants to give what he does not have. “I learned to be like a soldier,” he says. European Championship semi-final Poland – Slovenia at 6:00 pm.
Correspondence from Rome – Arcadiusz Dudziak
When you ask volleyball players who have worked with Gheorghe Cretu, it’s hard to hear any bad words. All the players praise him not only for his volleyball vision, but also for the unique bonds he builds with the volleyball players. Which Romanian magician was the only one to win Poland’s Triple Crown, winning the Champions League, Polish Championship and Polish Cup in the 2021/22 season?
He gives volleyball players what he doesn’t have
Chiorgi Creto was born in 1968 in Constanta. He was associated with Dinamo Bucharest for many years. – When I was 17 years old, every day during training I passed the Cup of the Best Team in Europe – said Creto a year ago in an interview with WP.
This period formed one of the best coaches in the world. But also in a negative way. His favorite player admits that in volleyball he rarely had anyone to turn to with his problems.
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– I learned that I had to be like a soldier, that is, to come to training and carry out my duties without batting an eyelid. After that, I heard a maximum of one tasbeeh per month. But times have changed now. Education and awareness of how players are formed and their positions are built is completely different now, he says before the Poland-Slovenia match.
The current coach of the Slovenian national team is known for the fact that even when he leaves a particular club, he does not break contact with his surroundings. He tries to maintain relationships and often sends encouraging letters to his former students.
– I am even in contact with the families of volleyball players. When I work with a band, I’m part of its life. I can’t seem to go to the gym five minutes before training and come home five minutes later. “I do my job the way I wanted to be treated when I was a player,” Cretu explains.
– Even my family, my wife and daughter, are involved in all this. He adds that my work as a coach is not only related to volleyball.
He believes that leading a team involves more than just volleyball responsibilities. – There are young players who need my support not only as a coach, but also as a father, friend and teacher. These are the elements that I missed at the beginning of my career, says the Romanian.
We spend many months together in clubs and the national team, and we travel a lot. He explains that my role cannot be limited to just telling them how to play volleyball.
He was the one who discovered Kaczmarek. And now you want to kick his ass
Without Crete, ZAKSA’s history of success and Nations League gold medal might not have existed. When he worked at Cuprum Lubin in 2014-2017, he had a receiver in his team – Lukas Kaczmarek. However, he decided that it would be best for the young volleyball player to change his attitude. This immediately turned out to be the goal, and Kaczmarek instantly became one of the best players in the league.
-I owe him a lot. Lukas Kaczmarek says he is a great coach and psychologist.
-He has a great attitude towards the players. It gives everyone great support. He cares about the technical aspects, his main focus is installation, and he has drilled it into our heads. Because rebounds are exciting. The Slovenians will definitely gain a lot – Kaczmarek tells us.
Crito himself also praises his former student. – He won the Champions League three times. That’s why it’s no surprise to me that he’s now the number one striker in your team. He deserved to be in this place because he worked hard for it over the years. He says his accomplishments speak for themselves.
Now he threatens the pole. “I’ll kick his ass”
There will be no sentimentality in Thursday’s semifinal match between Poland and Slovenia in the men’s volleyball tournament. – After the game, we hug each other, but before we go on the field, I look at him as a competitor and I want to kick his ass – says Creto about Kaczmarek.
This country’s national team has recently eliminated Poles from the European Championship four times. But for Crete, this will be the first match of its kind. He took over as coach of the team two weeks before the World Championship last year, when the Slovenians were unable to reach an agreement with their current coach, Marek Lebediu.
The collaboration between Crete and Slovenia worked so well that they reached the World Cup semi-finals together. His business style found success there as well. The Poles are preparing for battle with him without feeling. His former student Norbert Huber kindly warmed the atmosphere.
-His style is excellent and I like it. He’s a great man. I’m glad we get to play with them. We spoke during Wagner’s memorial in August. He told me he would see me in Rome. I told him he’d probably be cheering us on from the stands. He told me he was coming to kick our asses. The center says, on Thursday, I will hold him accountable for this.
The match between Poland and Slovenia will be held on Thursday, September 14, at five o’clock Egypt time, 18:00. Live coverage on WP SportoweFakty.
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