FRIEDRICHSHAFEN’s head coach Mark Lebedew has extended his contract until 2024

Mark Lebedew is VfB FRIEDRICHSHAFEN’s coach since 2020. Last week the Australian made an early extension to his contract until summer 2024. The 55 year old, who won the first title for the Häfler since 2019, feels pretty comfortable at the shores of Lake Constance and has big goals with the German powerhouse.

When Mark Lebedew jumped into his first VfB sweatshirt back in summer 2021, he had to smirk. “Blue fits me very well, but I really have to get used to it”, he said, as “orange” was the dominant color of his former clubs BERLIN RECYCLING Volleys and JASTRZEBSKI Wegiel. “It was nearly two years ago. So I’m used to it now”, he smiles after he extended his contract until 2024. However, the colour of the teamwear should not have been the main reason for his decision.

Lebedew started with big goals “to bring the glory days back to Friedrichshafen”, he said.  “My experience of German volleyball is that FRIEDRICHSHAFEN was the most important club. And that’s what I want FRIEDRICHSHAFEN to be again.” He is aware that this is not an easy process. But he knows his team is on the right path: “This season, to be in the quarterfinals of the champions League, is a big step. But there is still a lot of work to be done. One more round in Champions League and one more step in the league would be important for that process.”

There is a lot of confidence, and with good cause. Winning the German Cup in 2022 is just one element. “We had played some really very high level volleyball in Champions League, but also in the league we a have a victory against BERLIN. We have beaten all of our important opponents”, summarising the season until now. “But there is still a lot of work to do”, mentioning his team’s lack of consistency. “We are in the phase now where we have to raise that level even more.”

His team’s biggest strength is blocking. In both Champions League and Bundesliga FRIEDRICHSHAFEN is the measure of all things in this discipline. “I think my history in volleyball I have always had teams that have good block and defence organization”, Lebedew says. “This is the way that I think about the game and about preparation for the game. It’s part of my normal process. I’ve never had a team before with such good individual blockers. It makes a difference and you can see the number of block points we have.”

Mark Lebedew feels comfortable in Friedrichshafen. So comfortable that he brought his wife Anita and his son Daniel to the shores of Lake Constance. “It’s the most important part of my life and that we are able to be all together”, he says. “My son found a school that he likes and my wife is happy, that’s important and that will of course have reflection on my work.” Work, that he will keep doing for at least two more years.

After two years of changing halls and practice gyms, coaches and players start feeling comfortable in the new BODENSEE-AIRPORT ARENA. It seems like most of the obstacles in FRIEDRICHSHAFEN’s way disappeared. If all of this was in Mark Lebedew’s expectations? Probably this is just a rhetorical question. “I have to say that it is not exactly what I have expected. But nothing ever is exactly what you expect. So I’m very happy to be here.”