Volleyball

12 teams to challenge for the title in the CEV Volleyball European Golden League Men

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Article Wed, May 15 2024
Author: Adrian Costeiu

Six former winners of the CEV Volleyball European Golden League Men will be at the start of the competition this year, with Czechia and Estonia having the chance to secure their third title and subsquently tie Türkiye as the most decorated side in the history of the competition. 

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.

Three of the four participants in last year’s Final Four will return to the competition, as the business end of the competition is due to take place once again in Croatia, which are already qualified to the Final Four. This time, the four teams vying for the trophy will clash in Osijek, after having previously played in Varazdin and Zadar.

Each time, Croatia have finished third, with Türkiye in 2023 and Czechia in 2022 delivering the goods and sealing the titles. In fact, either Türkiye or Czechia have won the title since 2019, but Ukraine have also been quite consistent in this period, making the final in 2021 and 2023, losing both times against Türkiye.

Ukraine will be one of the favourites once again, as Czechia, Estonia, Spain, Portugal and Belgium are also due to try and seal the title once again, these being the six teams which had already clinched the title in the CEV Volleyball European Golden League Men.

The first week of the competition will take place between 17 and 19 May in Baku, Azerbaijan, Strumica, North Macedonia, Tampere, Finland and Loulé, Portugal. The second week is scheduled for 24/26 May, with matches in Luxembourg, Gijon, Spain, Râmnicu Vâlcea, Romania and Beveren in Belgium, while the third and final week sees matches played between 30 May and 2 June, in Rakvere, Estonia, Osijek, Croatia, Karlovy Vary, Czechia and Tarnow, Poland.

The top 3 teams with the largest number of wins in the first phase of the competition, plus hosts Croatia will then qualify for the Final Four, scheduled on 15 and 16 June in Osijek, Croatia, where a new champion will be crowned.

The CEV Volleyball European SilverLeague Men will also take place in the next few weeks, with four teams at the start. There are four weeks of competitions, plus the final round, with Iceland, Israel, the Faroe Islands and Austria competing.

Three teams will feature in each week, starting with the first week in Kopavogur, Iceland between 17 and 19 May, while the second week is played in Torshavn, Faroe Islands, between 24 and 26 May. Strumica, North Macedonia (31 May – 2 June) and Amsetten, Austria (7-9 June) will be the next venues to host the teams taking part.

The winner will be crowned in a home-and-away final on 13 and 16 June, with the two best-placed teams taking part.

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