One of the men in Cuba’s worse nightmare is Marcus Popp. If you really understand volleyball, you realize how Marcus Popp is important for the balance of his national team. But if you don’t understand the German language, you may not get his fine jokes on the court, when he smiles and with a few words can motivate his teammates.

Popp is the man who keeps the team balanced. He is not the best attacker, so maybe from the stands the fans may cheer more for the giant Grozer. But he is the kind of player, like Priddy for USA,  that each team misses a lot when he is not 100%.

“Our victory against Serbia was great” says Popp. “I mean, they’re the European Champions, they’re a great team but we fought until the very end. We were down 2 sets and we were able to come back. For our group it was so important.”

Popp is no more the young guy of the company but the most expert together with Andrae. “Let’s say I’m the oldest, it makes it simple. I think I know better what is need and when, during the game. Your experience teaches you how to celebrate or when it’s the moment to calm down your teammates, how to manage a group of players.”

Apart from Volleyball, Marcus Popp has another big passion, which still needs a Mikasa to be performed. “I love beach volleyball, maybe I like it even more than volleyball. Who knows what will be my future, maybe I will go back to the sand one day. What I would miss than? The group. Grouping together means everything in volleyball. Playing with the club is different, it’s a bunch of athletes which changes every year, while in your national team you can play for several years with some teammates who become real friends. In my life I want to be happy. That’s why I plan year by year my next season. So in the near future I may even decide to go back to the sand. I participated in a few World Tour tournaments and I think I was good considering that I was not a full time beach volleyball player. Technics and tactics are not so different if you have good indoor skills. Being able to adapt to different weather conditions is the real challenge.”