The Polish volleyball representative ends her career. She talked about the golden times
Recently, there was information about the end of Paulina Maj-Erwardt’s career. The former libero of the national volleyball team talked about the old days.
Five Polish champion titles, four Polish Cups and the same number of Super Cups. Winning the CEV Cup or a bronze medal in the European Championships with the Polish national team. Paulina Maj-Erwardt is a true volleyball multi-medalist. After years of playing, he ends his career.
Paulina Maj-Erwardt about her time working with Andrzej Niemczyk
Certainly, such a recognized “brand” in the volleyball world has a lot of interesting stories, both on and off the pitch, looking at the sports experience. In an interview for TVP Sport, Maj-Erwardt, the 2023 Polish champion in the colors of ŁKS Commercecon Łódź, talked about the times of the “Golden Girls”. That is, the legendary national volleyball team that won two European championships in a row (2003 and 2005).
Referring specifically to Andrzej Niemczyk. A much-lamented volleyball legend, not only in Poland.
– Everyone was aware that Andrzej Niemczyk drank, but suddenly someone started to care. That was unnecessary. He was able to pull himself together in key moments. At that time, he was the only one who had any vision and was great at understanding interpersonal relationships. He knew when a girl was boiling and was able to choose her substitute. He knew the nature of women very well and that’s how he won. But then he didn’t go to the championships and there was some unnecessary acidity – admitted in an interview with Sara Kalisz, former libero of the national team.
Comparison with the later period, when Marco Bonitta led the national team? With hindsight, Maj-Erwardt assessed the reality clearly.
– There were no dialogues with him, I didn’t have much to say anyway, I was just in the team and did what I could to match the level (…) The association chose Bonitta, who was a good coach, but a terrible person. Having Andrzej Niemczyk who noticed that your hair was beautifully curled, and a moment later a man who couldn’t talk to you… The gap was huge – the volleyball player admitted to TVP Sport.
The Polish national volleyball team returns to the Olympic Games
It is worth noting that 2023 was an extremely successful year for the volleyball team. The White and Reds won the bronze medal in the Nations League, the first one in their history. In addition, they showed quite well at the European Championships, losing in the quarterfinals to the eventual champions, the Turks. A similar scenario happened to the Polish women a year earlier during the World Championships, when the Serbian national team stood in the way of coach Stefano Lavarini’s team.
However, what is most important from the perspective of the assumed goals, the Polish women advanced to the Olympic Games in Paris (2024). For the women’s volleyball team, it will be a return to the Olympic tournament for the first time since the 2008 competition in Beijing. At that time, the team was led by… the above-mentioned Bonitta.
