The Young Yellow Tigers have reached the final four at the U18 European Championship. Coach Yorick Vande Velde enthusiastically spoke about the team's achievements in reaching the semi-finals.

"I am very happy with reaching the final four," said Vande Velde. "It is quite unexpected given the strength of the other countries. We pushed ourselves physically and mentally, and we knew we had it in our hands to win those last matches. The matches had their ups and downs, but we definitely see progress in the group and we showed some really beautiful things during those games."

The past days have been tough for the Young Yellow Tigers. "Yesterday, we planned a full day of rest to recharge the batteries after a long and exhausting group stage and to start fresh in the semi-final," the coach explained. This strategic rest day was crucial to prepare the team both physically and mentally for the upcoming challenge.

In the semi-final, a match against Poland is scheduled. Vande Velde acknowledges the strength of the opponent: "The semi-final is against Poland and they are indeed a strong opponent. We have already seen on the footage that this is a solid team. So it will be a semi-final where we have absolutely nothing to lose against powerhouse Poland. We will try to play freely and bring out our best game, and then we'll see how it goes."

Semi-final European Championship:
Belgium vs. Poland
12/07/2024 at 18:00 Belgian time

You can find the livestream here: https://www.youtube.com/@FR_Volei/streams