Denmark are aiming to become a dominant force in European volleyball
Volleyball Denmark have agreed a long-term contract with coach Kristian Knudsen following an investment of CHF 72,000 from FIVB’s Volleyball Empowerment programme
Volleyball Denmark Sports Director Sebastian Mikelsons said the FIVB support is a timely boost for volleyball in Denmark
After a decade-long absence, Denmark returned to the CEV European Championships last year, signaling a new era for volleyball in the country.
The qualification for the EuroVolley 2023 followed some impressive performances from the men’s national team in the CEV Golden League and Silver League.
Coach Kristian Knudsen has played a large part in helping to secure these positive results for the men’s national team and, thanks to an investment of CHF 72,000 into coach support by FIVB’s Volleyball Empowerment programme, Volleyball Denmark have agreed a long-term contract with Knudsen.
According to Volleyball Denmark Sports Director Sebastian Mikelsons, the FIVB support is a timely boost for Denmark’s aim to become a dominant force in European volleyball.
Coach Kristian Knudsen (centre) is in charge of the Denmark national team. (Photo credits: CEV)
He said, “Kristian is a popular coach and we were keen on having him here to continue this project. We didn’t have the money to keep him here full time but with the FIVB support we are now confident about the next steps for our project".
Mikelsons added; “He will now have more hours and time together with the national team during the preparation phase which includes training camp and friendly matches. He will also work closely with the junior teams to analyse the young talent coming through. We also want him to follow the clubs participating in the league and interact with more players to widen the selection pool”.
Volleyball Denmark President Mads Olsen echoed Mikelson’s sentiments, stating that they are optimistic that FIVB support will take their national team to new heights and help to boost the popularity of volleyball in Denmark.
“We have a young and talented team and are happy that FIVB has come in to support us. The national team is the face of the sport and with Kristian having more time with the team, we believe that our performance will improve and help increase awareness of the sport here in Denmark,” said Olsen.
Denmark face the Netherlands in EuroVolley 2023. (Photo credits: CEV)
Despite not coming away with silverware at EuroVolley 2023, Knudsen, himself a former Denmark captain, believes there were some clear positives to draw from and that his youthful team can emerge as a force in European volleyball.
He said, “I think our team was one of the youngest and least experienced at EuroVolley 2023. We still managed to get some good results like winning a set against countries like Netherlands and Czechia. The good thing is this team can be together for 10 years and with most of the players now turning professional there is a lot of potential.
“They are going to learn and gain more experience at club level which gives us an opportunity to achieve our goals faster at the national team level. Our target is to become one of the top eight countries in Europe, with a lot of work to be done to get there,” said Knudsen.
He added; “The FIVB support has come at the right time especially with the EuroVolley 2026 qualifiers coming up in August. We want to ensure that we qualify then perhaps take part in the CEV Golden League next year to get our team ready for the EuroVolley. We can only go higher from here”.
Denmark captain Axel Jacobsen (centre) is one of the key players for the youthful team. (Photo credits: CEV)
Axel Jacobsen, a legendary setter who has been at the national team for 20 years, is keen to write history with Denmark before he retires.
“It’s a great honour to lead this team as captain and guide the young ones. We have a good connection as players, technical staff and the Federation. The team spirit is really good and we hope to qualify for EuroVolley again. With this kind of support from FIVB, I’m confident that our breakthrough will come soon before I retire,” said the 39-year-old Jacobsen.