Daniele Santarelli confident after semifinal berth: “We can beat everyone”

Turkey’s women’s volleyball team reached the European Championship semifinals after beating Germany 3-1, but coach Daniele Santarelli acknowledged that the quarterfinal brought pressure and tension.

“We felt a little pressure,” Santarelli said after the match at Sinan Erdem Sports Hall. “Either you lose, or you continue to have a chance at a medal.” He said Turkey controlled the first two sets while holding Germany to 18 points in each, but the match became more difficult as Germany produced a strong performance.

Santarelli said Turkey became tense in the final set and that the team’s view of the match changed during that period. Even so, he described the overall performance as good and expressed confidence ahead of the semifinal against Serbia.

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If we continue to play our best volleyball, and if the fans continue to support us, we can beat everyone.

He said all four semifinalists had earned their places and deserved respect. Italy, he added, had won everything recently, Poland had beaten Turkey, and Serbia had become a complete team with no obvious weakness. But Santarelli insisted Turkey had “a very high chance against every opponent” and added, “If we continue to play our best volleyball, and if the fans continue to support us, we can beat everyone.”

Eda Erdem praised Germany’s defense and said Turkey recovered its rhythm after an uneven second set. She credited the substitutes and the technical staff, describing the victory as a complete team effort. “We are happy, another goal has been completed,” Erdem said. “Now Serbia is next.” She expects a high-quality, difficult semifinal because the teams know each other well and many Serbian players compete in Turkey’s league.

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We are happy, another goal has been completed. Now Serbia is next.