Dispute in German beach volleyball: serve into the unknown

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Cinja Tillmann and Kim Behrens can still be happy here

Sandpit dispute. Zoff on the beach. Trouble in Paradise. If the matter weren't that serious, the dispute between the beach volleyball players Cinja Tillmann and Kim Behrens and the German Volleyball Association (DVV) would provide space for jokes. But the international career of the two athletes depends on the outcome of the dispute.

That is why Tillmann and Behrens filed a lawsuit against the association with the Frankfurt Regional Court last autumn, which was also accepted and is now being negotiated. The trial was supposed to start in March. However, due to the corona pandemic, the court is only starting today to negotiate whether the DVV has violated antitrust and competition law.

It's about a lot of money. The team speaks of a lack of entry and prize money worth more than 25,000 euros. In addition, there is lower income from sponsors: "This year, the feedback from our existing and potential new partners started very slowly," says Tillmann. She speaks of the time before the pandemic.

It's about the status as a national team

An international season including coaching staff, travel and medical care would cost around 100,000 euros, Behrens calculates. They cover the expenses through sponsors and prize money. As a non-national team, you cannot afford a physiotherapist during the competitions.

And that is what the dispute between the association and the athletes is about. Beach volleyball is organized nationally and internationally as a tournament series. The World Federation (FIVB) regulates admission to international competitions.

Four teams per nation are allowed to compete. The top three start directly in the main field - if they have enough world ranking points. For the last starting place in the qualifying round, the FIVB advises holding a so-called country quota - a national elimination tournament before the international competition. The qualification before the qualification.

"The leading top nations do exactly that," says Hans Voigt, the coach of the team who previously looked after the Olympic champions Brink / Reckermann and Ludwig / Walkenhorst. Brazil and the USA each send their teams through the pre-competition one week before the start of the tournament. The German association, however, proceeds differently.

The association has determined the four teams

In 2019, he selected four national teams that he believes will qualify for the Olympic Games. He saves them the country quota and guarantees a starting place - regardless of whether other German teams are better off in the world rankings. Tillmann / Behrens are therefore looking down the pipe. "We can't do our job," says Kim Behrens. "This nomination practice hinders fair competition," says Voigt.

Kuala Lumpur, Warsaw, Gstaad, Vienna, Moscow, Rome 2019 and Cancun at the end of March 2020: In seven cases, the beach volleyball players had enough international points to participate. However, the association has withdrawn her from the tournament seven times and instead let its national players start.

The background is a castling that started after Laura Ludwig and Kira Walkenhorst won Olympic gold in 2016. Because Walkenhorst interrupted her career due to an injury, Ludwig has been playing with Germany's formerly best indoor player Margareta Kozuch since her baby break. She had previously played with Karla Borger, who is now playing with Julia Sude. And their former partner, Chantal Laboureur, is now forming a team with Sandra Ittlinger.

Ittlinger, in turn, was previously Kim Behrens' partner. Due to the great interplay, she entered into a partnership with Cinja Tillmann last year. Both are defense specialists. Actually, they lack the block expert.

Nevertheless, they are competitive. They finished 17th at the 2019 World Cup, and bronze at the German championship, leaving two national teams behind. "It's not about the Olympics for them, but they can establish themselves on the World Tour in the medium term," says their coach.

"Association success versus equal opportunities"

He thinks: "Basically the dispute has two sides: association success versus equal opportunities." Because the DVV explains its approval practices by saying that it does not give Tillmann / Behrens any medal chances. And success at the Olympic Games is a priority for the DVV. Only then will there be enough money from the German Olympic Sports Confederation.

Now both parties only communicate through their lawyers. The association was not available to SPIEGEL to make a statement. The world association does not want to know anything about a legal dispute. But he does not deny rumors that the country quota will be made mandatory for all countries from the coming Olympic cycle.

For Tillmann / Behrens that would be little consolation. "We have been canceled from all major tournaments," says Tillmann, and demands: "Sport should be about fairness." They hope that the Frankfurt Regional Court will agree with them.