– I vote for Jastrzębski Węgiel in the Champions League final – says Robbert Andringa, captain of AZS Olsztyn. The Dutch representative also talks about the upcoming season and the future of his club.

Janusz Siennicki, WP SportoweFakty: On Saturday May 20, a historic moment will take place in the history of Polish volleyball. The teams of Jastrzębski Węgiel and Grupa Azoty ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle will meet in the Champions League final. This will be the first Champions League final between two Polish teams. Who do you think will win the final trophy?

Robbert Andringa, captain of Indykpol AZS Olsztyn: I was very impressed with how Jastrzębski Węgiel dominated Grupa Azoty ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle in these last three matches, especially in the last one, where they showed real strength. He votes in the Champions League final for the current Polish champions.

You are one of the oldest volleyball players in PlusLiga. You played for AZS Olsztyn for 6 years and played 168 matches. Did you expect to spend so much time in a club?

No way. When I arrived in Poland in 2017, I couldn’t imagine at first that I would play for a club for so long. I also didn’t expect to be able to play at such a level for so many years, because in my opinion the switch from the French Ligue A to PlusLiga was a very big step.
I felt at home in Olsztyn. I really like living in such a beautiful city. It wasn’t the most important reason, but it was part of my decision. The most important thing was that I really wanted to continue playing in Poland and the club has always been friendly with me. The board clearly wanted me to extend my contract for next season every time. Even in the 2018/2019 season, where I had a serious foot injury for a long part of it, the club still saw me in their ranks.

If you look at your first game in the colors of AZS against the former shipyard of Szczecin, and the last with PSG Stala Nysa closing this PlusLiga season, what kind of player have you become in the last 6 years?

I discovered that I was able to play at the highest level that I never thought I could. Overall I have become a more relaxed volleyball player. I know my abilities and my limits, my qualities, my strengths and my weaknesses much better.

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Let’s go back to the last edition of PlusLiga. How do you rate the performance of Indykpol AZS Olsztyn throughout this season? 7th place is a bit unsatisfying, considering you were close to qualifying for the semi-finals?

The season was really long and tough, we played a lot of games. Over the past few months, we have had to deal with various problems. We had a mixed start, winning a few games and then losing 4 in a row. I still remember very bad games against Trefl Gdańsk and Projekt Warszawa on our ground. Then came a better moment and we won 9 games out of 10. But then Josh Tuaniga got seriously injured and Moritz Karlitzek suffered some injuries. A large part of the team has had more or less health problems in recent months.

Despite so many problems, we have always found a way to solve them and present ourselves as best as possible in this moment. We had to learn by playing with Grzegorz Pająk in the playoffs, and he had to teach us – and that’s all before the play-offs. We also managed to get away with it in good style, earning promotion to the first ‘eight’. Then we did everything to fight for a good result. In the quarter-final against Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie, we played to the best of our abilities. It was really a shame when the sets lost in the fifth game were only two points apart, and we had a chance to win at least one more set.

Being so close to the semi-finals despite so many problems, I don’t think it’s really possible to say that it was a bad season for you…

Exactly, no one on the team thought that way.

Taylor Averill in an interview after your last game with PSG Stala Nysa said that there are people in the team who “don’t care” and that even in games for places 7-8 you have to play with maximum commitment. Do you agree with his opinion?

I heard about this interview, but I didn’t read it. I didn’t ask him either. Our last match was very bad, we all know that. However, it is difficult to play a match for the 7-8 places just two days after losing a fierce, thrilling and most important clash of the season. It may sound bad, but it’s hard to mentally prepare for a ‘game for nothing’ in the same way as in the quarter-finals.

For the past 2 years, every game for you was an away game – due to the reconstruction of the “Urania” hall in Olsztyn, you played in Iława. Was it difficult to accept such frequent departures?

It could be annoying. The day before the match, we had to show up in Iława, check in at the hotel and then train. Throughout the 30-game regular phase and all of those games, we had to travel. Luckily, the hall in Iława was very good for us and the fans there did a great job.

You are an NBA fan, so I can’t help but understand that. Memphis Bucks player Giannis Antetokounmpo after a playoff loss to the Miami Heat, when a reporter asks him if the Memphis Bucks season was a failure: he replies that there is no failure in the sport – only progress is made from year to year. As an athlete, do you also follow this philosophy?

There’s a lot of pressure on basketball players in the NBA, so it’s amazing to give such a response after the heavy loss to Antetokounmpo. I’m glad a world-class star told the truth. My current and former teammates and players I have played with and follow on Twitter and Instagram released his statement. Not only me, but also other athletes identify with his statement and we know what he wanted to show through it. Losing is part of sport, someone has to lose for someone to win, only one will be a champion. So it was and always will be.

You are currently on a training camp for the Dutch national team. Coach Roberto Piazza has appointed you receiver. However, that year you were also called up to your nominal position, but in the end you played libero. Are we going to take a full look at you as a host this season?

I know that right now I’m the host. But I will do what the coach asks me to do. If he thinks my Libero is good for the team again, I’ll take over. I will have further discussions with coach Piazza about this during the national team season, everything can still change.

In the European Championships and in the Olympic qualifications, you will fight with the Polish national team, and next to our team of experts and fans, you are mentioned as one of the favorites to leave the group. What can you expect from the Dutch national team this season?

The summer will certainly be very long. Of course, our priority is to qualify for the Olympic Games. Moreover, every game in the Nations League or the European Championship will count and we cannot miss any of them, despite the tight schedule. If we are not directly promoted in Paris, we hope to move up the rankings. We know that Poland are the big favourites, and we will have to prepare for very tough battles with other group rivals like Canada, Argentina and Bulgaria. It won’t be easy, but looking at the list of other bands, we could have done worse. It is important to give the maximum in every game, because this tournament could be our only chance. I hope we’re going to have a big surprise, because we don’t hide the fact that the Olympic Games are my huge dream.

Still with Dutch volleyball – what do you think of the popularity of this sport in your country?

It’s not a very popular sport in the Netherlands. Football has left virtually every discipline behind. However, when a year ago my country and Poland hosted the Women’s Volleyball World Championship, almost all matches with our national team were sold out and the halls were full of fans. It was very pleasing to the eye. However, interest is growing, but for it to be greater, results are needed. I hope our attitude in this year’s staff season will help.

What about the Dutch league? We know very well that several very good Dutch volleyball players were born, apart from you, we can mention Nimir, Van Garderen or Ter Horst. However, it does not belong to the strong leagues in Europe. Is there anything that can take this league to a high level?

I know there are rumors of a merger between the Dutch and Belgian leagues. It’s a very interesting level for me to raise the level of the league and encourage good volleyball players to come to the Netherlands. Currently, the Eredivisie level is not the best, but the Belgian EuroMillions League is more interesting and has a higher quality. Additionally, the league has more good money to offer players. For the Eredivisie, the merger with a stronger league could be an opportunity to increase the popularity of volleyball in my country, there is also the potential for new sponsors and club budgets could increase. This will allow them to hire better volleyball players or develop youngsters.

Do you intend to return to the Eredivisie in the future?

I have no plans at the moment. I intend to stay at the European summit as long as the fire that still burns in me allows me to. Maybe I’ll come back when I know I’ve had enough and want to spend more time with my family.

What does Robbert Andringa’s future look like regarding the next season at Olsztyn? There are transfer rumors flying everywhere…
Most of you probably already know what’s going to happen to me (laughs). All I can say is that I’m changing leagues. I would like to try something new. I’m very close to signing a contract with a certain club, so my future should be clear soon.

Janusz Siennicki, WP SportoweFakty journalist

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