On Saturday night Poland beat France 3-1 (31-29, 25-19, 19-25, 25-16) in the men's volleyball European Championship final - to lift its second consecutive and third overall trophy, and become the second nation in the 21st century to successfully defend the title.
The Poles, led by coach Nikola Grbić, entered the final in Italy's Milan following a 3-0 semi-final victory over Slovenia, while the French had defeated Finland 3-1 at that stage. For the "Biało-Czerwoni" (White-and-Reds) Saturday's final offered a chance for revenge after their 0-3 loss against "Les Bleus" in the decisive match at the Paris Olympic Games.
Both teams started the match strongly, going point-for-point in a tight contest. Neither side could pull away from the other till the very end - and the 1st set's outcome was decided in its closing moments, when this thrilling battle went into extra points. With France leading 26-25, Poland's Bartłomiej Lemański committed an error in the middle and the French thought they had clinched the set. However, a video challenge revealed a net touch, and the opening set continued. Despite this rollercoaster of emotions, Nikola Grbić’s men kept their cool and managed to finally secure a 31-29 victory.
The second set was a completely different story. The Poles shifted into a higher gear right from the start, giving their opponents no chance to mount an effective response. The "Biało-Czerwoni" first led 8-3, and then the score stretched to 11-4 for Poland. The French tried to find a way back into the match, and narrowed the gap slightly at 15-21, but that was the extent of their resistance in this set. The Polish players ultimately won 25-19, and were just one step away from defending their title.
However, in the third set, it was the French who impressed with their efficiency and tenacious defense. After initial exchanges the score stood at 4-1 in favor of "Les Bleus", and then the French made it 10-4. Nikola Grbić used his second timeout to try and turn things around, but the Poles were unable to catch up, and ultimately France won the set 25-20, narrowing Poland's lead to 2-1 and staying in the game.
The Poles quickly put that setback behind them, though. In the fourth set the French kept the score close for a while, but from the 7-8 score Poland started to extend its lead - soon leading 15-9, and then 18-12. It was more and more clear that the Poles could start preparing to celebrate their back-to-back European Championship, and they did not squander the opportunity.
The final set concluded with a 25-16 win for Poland, who closed the match with a 3-1 triumph and soon after lifted their 3rd overall EuroVolley trophy. The Poles had previously triumphed in Izmir in 2009 and in Rome three years ago. Just as in 2023, they had also won the Nations League earlier in the ongoing season. Under new Summer Games qualification rules, this year's European Championships were also the first opportunity to secure an Olympic berth at the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles - and as the winners of the trophy, Poland did just that.
"Thank you to all the fans for your support. We’ve secured Olympic qualification, and it’s all thanks to you" - Wilfredo Leon, born in Cuba but representing Poland since 2019, said addressing the fans immediately after the final. He was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player, becoming only the second player in European Championship history to win the MVP title in two consecutive editions. Leon also received the award for the tournament's Best Outside Hitter.
In the match for third place, Finland delivered a huge surprise defeating Slovenia 3-0, and claiming their first-ever European Championship medal.
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Source: PAP, TVP Sport