Alan Nine
Men’s EuroVolley: Slovenia sweep past Serbia as Belgium return to the last eight
TURIN – Slovenia claimed the final quarter-final berth at the 2026 Men’s EuroVolley with an emphatic 3-0 victory over Serbia (25-14, 25-13, 25-22). Fabio Soli’s side dominated the opening two sets before holding off a stronger Serbian challenge in the third to wrap up the match in just 77 minutes.
Slovenia converted an outstanding 85 per cent of their attacks in the opening set and finished at 57 per cent overall, underlining their superiority with ten blocks and six aces. Mujanović led the way with 14 points, converting 52 per cent of his attacks, while Kozamernik added ten. Rok Možič, back after sitting out the previous match in Modena, contributed 11 points.
Serbia head coach Gheorghe Crețu turned to almost his entire bench and made four changes to his starting line-up for the third set, but could not find a way back into the contest. His side finished with a 36 per cent success rate in attack, seven blocks and a solitary ace.
Belgium also booked their place in the quarter-finals, coming from a set down to beat the Czech Republic 3-1 (20-25, 26-24, 25-14, 25-15) and reach the last eight for the first time since 2017.
After conceding the opener, Belgium edged a tense second set 26-24 before taking command of the match. Ferre Reggers spearheaded the comeback with 24 points, including four blocks and two aces, while Sam Deroo added 17. Belgium dominated at the net, outblocking the Czechs 15-6. Patrik Indra and Vašina finished with 14 points apiece for the Czech Republic.
Italy face Finland test with semi-final place on the line
Italy take on Finland in Turin on Wednesday, 23 September, at 21:05, seeking a place in the EuroVolley semi-finals.
Following the straight-sets victory over Denmark, head coach Ferdinando De Giorgi warned that Finland would present a more rounded technical challenge. He stressed the importance of making small gains across every aspect of Italy’s game, with fine margins potentially deciding the outcome.
Captain Simone Giannelli also expects a demanding encounter, with Italy needing to withstand long rallies and repeated shifts in momentum. He highlighted patience when turning defence into attack, sharper blocking against high-ball attacks and keeping the middle blockers involved as priorities for the quarter-final.
The win over Denmark also delivered strong television ratings. Rai 2 averaged 2.237 million viewers and a 13.3 per cent audience share, making the match the channel’s most-watched programme of the day. Sky Sport attracted more than 345,000 viewers, taking the combined audience above 2.5 million.
EuroVolley Fan Zone opens in Milan ahead of decisive matches
The official CEV Enel EuroVolley Fan Zone has opened in Milan’s Piazza del Duomo as the city prepares to host the tournament’s closing stages.
Running from 21 to 26 September, with daily opening hours of 10:00 to 20:00, the Fan Zone features a full-size volleyball court with a grandstand, a dedicated Volley S3 area for younger visitors, sitting volleyball exhibitions and an immersive installation celebrating the Italian national team.
The semi-finals and finals will take place at the Unipol Forum in Assago on 25 and 26 September. After the event, the Fan Zone court will be handed over to the Italian Volleyball Federation for future promotional activities.
Italian federation: Match officials complete pre-season meeting in Bologna
BOLOGNA – Italy’s top-level referees, referee delegates and supervisors have completed a three-day pre-season meeting covering disciplinary matters, assessment criteria and rule changes being trialled internationally.
The programme also included sessions on leadership, trust and performance analysis, with contributions from representatives of the Frecce Tricolori.
Further meetings for Ruolo B referees and delegates are scheduled for 3–4 October in Bologna and 10–11 October in Bari.
