Team Robin Baghdady stays

SWD powervolleys Düren keep one of the stars of the Volleyball Bundesliga: outside hitter Robin Baghdady has extended his contract by two years. The 26-year-old is playing his third season in Düren in 2025/26 and is once again among the elite outside hitters in the Bundesliga. Managing director Tomas Kocian-Falkenbach calls him a central building block for the new team.

Many surely did not expect the extension, Kocian-Falkenbach says, because after Baghdady’s strong performances it was clear he would receive plenty of good offers. That he is staying anyway shows how attractive Düren has become – even for players of this caliber.

Baghdady is one of the best attackers in the league and one of the most dangerous players in his position at block and serve. In reception and defense too, traditionally not the strength of tall players, the 2.05-meter outside hitter is a stabilizing factor in Düren’s game.

Steady development

For Baghdady, what counts is the process he sees in Düren. Every year he sees progress, both in the team on court and around it. Düren is a strong club that keeps improving, and he wants to keep contributing to that.

Top teams like Berlin used to have the advantage of a deeper squad, Baghdady says. Düren are getting there too: the team can make substitutions during matches, becomes stronger as a result and does not depend on certain players always being on court. That will also help the team in the upcoming playoffs.

A player who makes the difference

It also fits for Baghdady on a personal level. He feels at home in Düren, and the club has the right mix of a friendly environment and a professional structure. The extension was a logical decision for him – and one that feels good.

His most important asset feels good too: his body. Early in his career Baghdady was already seen as a big talent, but injuries and physical problems held him back for a long time. In Düren things are different: for the second season in a row his body is holding up, and Baghdady has become what many experts predicted – one of the players who make the difference, not only in Düren but across the Bundesliga.