Portugal’s volleyball team is gearing up for the European Golden League with a new batch of 18 players called up by coach João José.
Making his debut is Sporting’s central blocker Kelton Tavares
, while 17-year-old Rafael Pinto from Académica de Espinho has also earned a spot.
The team’s preparations include a training camp starting May 19 in Viana do Castelo, followed by a series of tournaments.
Upcoming Schedule
- Torneo 3 in Greece: Spain (June 7) and Greece (June 8)
- Torneo 8 in Portugal: Slovakia (June 13) and Israel (June 15)
- Torneo 12 in Czech Republic: Romania (June 21) and Czech Republic (June 22)
- Final Four in Ostrava, Czech Republic: July 5-6
Team Roster
The squad includes a mix of experienced players and young talent:
- Setters: Tiago Violas (Benfica), Bruno Dias (Nice Volley-Ball, France), Alexandre Ferreira (Tokyo Great Bears, Japan) and Miguel Tavares Rodrigues (Aluron Warta Zawiercie, Poland)
- Liberos: Ivo Casas (Benfica) and Gonçalo Sousa (Sporting)
- Central Blockers: Guilherme Menezes (Castêlo da Maia), José Pedro Andrade (Sporting de Espinho), Kelton Tavares (Sporting), Miguel Sinfrónio (Helios Grizzlys Giesen, Germany) and Filip Cveticanin (Municipal Zalau, Romania)
- Opposites: Rafael Pinto (Académica de Espinho) and José Pinto (San Roque Batán, Spain)
- Outside Hitters: André Pereira (Leixões), Rafael Santos (Leixões), Manuel Figueiredo (Vitória de Guimarães), Lourenço Martins (St Nazaire VB Atlantique, France) and Nuno Marques (Nova Technology Lycurgus BV, Netherlands)