PASSION and love can go a long way.
One of the biggest testaments to that is Germany’s György Grozer, who will turn 41 in two months but is still going strong in the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship.
For the grizzled veteran, his love for the game remains the fire that keeps him going—fueled by the overwhelming support he has received in the Philippines throughout this tournament.
“I give my best day by day. I try to recover every day with a lot of ice baths and, most importantly, with a lot of love for the sport,” said Grozer on Monday after Germany swept Chile.
“And I love the Filipino fans when they support us. This gives me energy, too,” he continued.
The 6-foot-7 opposite spiker has been leading the Germans in Pool E. He delivered 13 points on seven spikes, three blocks, and three aces in their straight-sets loss to Bulgaria on Saturday.
With their Round of 16 hopes on the line Monday, Grozer stepped up and produced 19 points on 17 attacks, a block, and an ace to power Germany past Chile, 25-17, 25-23, 25-21.
Grozer, whose eldest daughter Leana is already playing for Germany’s women’s national volleyball team at 18, now hopes to rally more support in their final pool play match.
Ranked 10th in the world, Germany will face sixth-ranked Slovenia in a high-stakes showdown on Wednesday at 9 p.m. (Manila time).
“Hopefully, against Slovenia, we will have the Filipino fans in the background cheering for us. I wish for that because it would be something special. Thank you so much,” Grozer said.
“We need to risk everything we have. All 14 players must be ready. We need to give our all, be aggressive from the beginning, fight until the end—that’s the most important,” he added, sharing their mindset for the all-European battle.
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