Poland reclaimed the men’s European volleyball crown on Saturday night, defeating reigning Olympic champions France 3-1 at the Unipol Forum in Assago. Guided by Nikola Grbic, the Polish squad secured set scores of 31-29, 25-19, 20-25, and 25-16 to capture the third continental title in the nation’s history, while also earning direct qualification for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
A Tactically Charged Final at Assago
The championship match delivered a high-stakes clash between two of international volleyball’s heavyweights. Poland set the tone in a bruising opening set that stretched to 31-29, before controlling the tempo in the second. France, the reigning Olympic gold medalists who defeated Poland at the Paris 2024 Games, fought back to take the third set 25-20. However, Poland slammed the door in the fourth, running away with a 25-16 decision to seal the championship.
Revenge and Regional Context
For Poland, the victory served as sweet redemption for the gold-medal match lost to the French side under Andrea Giani at the Paris Olympics two years prior. It also mirrors Poland’s historical final win against the same opponents in the 2009 European championship. Meanwhile, the defeat extends a difficult continental trend for Andrea Giani, who has now suffered three European Championship final losses at the helm of three different national teams, following previous defeats with Slovenia in 2015 and Germany in 2017.
Pathways to the Podium and Los Angeles 2028
Earlier in the tournament, the event had been rocked by Italy’s unexpected quarterfinal exit against Finland. In Saturday’s third-place playoff, Finland secured the bronze medal with a straight-sets victory over Fabio Soli’s Slovenia, winning 25-23, 25-20, and 29-27. For Poland, Saturday’s gold not only restores continental supremacy but books an early ticket to Los Angeles 2028, where the program will chase its first Olympic gold medal since 1976.
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