12 teams start their journey in the CEV Volleyball European Golden League 2024 Women

Three previous winners will line up at the start of the CEV Volleyball European Golden League 2024 Women, with 12 teams trying to fight for the coveted trophy, which will be awarded in the Final Four due to take place in Czechia, between 15 and 16 June.

A new format of the competition has been introduced from this season onwards, which provides all participating teams with the opportunity to host a tournament on home soil – and to play two matches on the very same weekend at home against two quality opponents. This new formula significantly reduces travel costs, while also allowing all participants to promote their national teams.

All four teams which took part in the last season’s Final Four are back in the CEV Volleyball European Golden League 2024 Women, with reigning champions Ukraine, runners-up Belgium, as well as Sweden and Czechia lining up at the start.

Joining Ukraine as previous champions are also Czechia and Azerbaijan, while Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Romania, Croatia, Austria and Estonia are also featuring in the competition, which will likely deliver some very well-balanced matches, with the teams ready to fight for the coveted Final Four berths.

There are three weeks of intense volleyball scheduled, with the first week seeing the teams play in Rakvere, Estonia, Osijek, Croatia, Lund, Sweden and in Teplice, Czechia, between 16 and 19 May.

The second week will see the 12 teams head to Schwechat, Austria, Blaj, Romania, Maribor, Slovenia and Beveren, Belgium, with the matches scheduled between 24 and 26 May. The third week of the first phase of the CEV Volleyball European Golden League 2024 Women will be held between 31 May and 2 June in Baku, Azerbaijan, Gijon, Spain, Bratislava, Slovakia and Tarnow, Poland.

The four teams with the largest number of wins will progress to the Final Four, due to be held in Czechia, on 15 and 16 June. With another title, both Czechia and Ukraine can tie the record for the largest number of wins in the CEV Volleyball European Golden League 2024 Women currently held by Serbia, with three wins.

The two sides are also the ones with the best final position at the CEV EuroVolley 2023 Women, as Czechia made the quarter-finals and ended up on the eighth place, while Ukraine were ninth, missing out on the top 8 after losing the Round of 16 match against Czechia, 2:3.

Slovakia (10th), Romania (11th), Spain (13th), Belgium (15th) and Sweden (16th) also made the first 16 places at the previous European premium competition, which took place last September.

10 teams to line up at the start of the Silver League

10 teams will also line up at the start of the CEV Volleyball European Silver League 2024 Women, which will take place over four weeks, with the winner being in the final, which will be played in a home-and-away system on 13 and 16 June.

With the two finalists from the last edition, Estonia and Austria, promoted to the Golden League, only 9 teams will now start the competition, as Bosnia Herzegovina, relegated from the Golden League, have withdrawn before the start.

Portugal, Montenegro, Hungary, Finland, Latvia, Georgia, Iceland, Luxembourg and the Faroe Islands will challenge for the title, as the competition will see four weeks played, with matches scheduled between 16 and 19 May, 24 and 26 May, 31 May and 2 June, as well as between 7 and 9 June.

The best two-placed sides – the teams with the largest number of wins – will then head to the final, played on 13 and 16 June, in a home-and-away system.