Czechia crowned men’s U22 European Champions, historic bronze for Israel
News
The #EuroVolleyU22M concluded in dramatic fashion at the Municipal Pavilion of Albufeira, European City of Sport 2026. In a tournament that showcased the absolute pinnacle of young European Volleyball talent, Czechia rose to the top step of the podium, while Israel captured a monumental, first-ever medal for their nation – a bronze. The Czechs had previously claimed a continental title in age-group competitions only twice – in 2000 (in the U19 women’s division) and in 2017 with their U19 men’s national team.
Czechia dethrone giants to claim European gold
In a thrilling gold medal match refereed by Portugal’s own José Caramez Pereira, Czechia defeated a resilient Polish side 3-1 (25-27, 27-25, 25-20, 25-13) to claim the ultimate crown. Having suffered a 2-3 defeat to defending champions France in the pool stage, the Czech squad showed incredible quality to dominate the final sets of the tournament. Poland’s Wojciech Gajek led all scorers in the match with 25 points, closely followed by Czechia’s own powerhouse Matej Pastrnak with 24.
Michal Nekola, Czechia head coach: “It was another very, very difficult match. I feel immense pride in these players. This is a team that showed, once again, that it never gives up. So, hats off to my players; they were incredible, with no exceptions. The reward for that is the fact that they are the champions of Europe. It’s hard to say anything more than that. Thank you to all the staff, co-workers, and these fans who never abandon us... We are happy, and now we are going to celebrate.”
Piotr Graban, Poland head coach: “We were not surprised; we knew they are an incredible team and that we can only defeat them when we are at our best level. Unfortunately, today we could not reach that level, probably because yesterday we gave everything against France; we gave 100%, and maybe we lacked experience, or maybe just luck, because the first three sets were very close, and then something broke. We have to congratulate and thank my players for their dedication. It was a very long week. We did not start well; we fought for gold, and this group, which worked for two years to be here, achieved the silver medal, which is incredible and the most important thing.”
The match was a milestone not just for the players, but for Portuguese referee José Caramez Pereira too. The first referee highlighted the intense atmosphere of the final and the progression of Portuguese referees on the world stage: “The game was very intense, very hard-fought in the first three sets. Then, in the fourth set, Poland broke down a bit, and Czechia, who had a great tournament, ended up getting the upper hand. I think it was very difficult until the fourth set; the fourth set became a bit easier for us. Our performance was very good; I think we, the entire refereeing crew, have to be very happy about that. The final is my third European final, the second in a European Championship, across three European Championships. And refereeing a final in Portugal has an even more special taste. [...] Portuguese refereeing is constantly involved in the final stages of major competitions. We constantly have our referees in the best competitions... It is proof that Portuguese refereeing is constantly evolving.”
Historic first bronze for brilliant Israel
The bronze medal match provided its own piece of history as Israel stunned the defending champions France with a commanding 3-0 straight-sets victory (25-21, 25-23, 25-18). Mark Rura (21 points) and Shay Mayo Liberman (14 points) dominated the net for Israel, completely neutralising the French offense, which saw Noa Duflos-Rossi score 13 points in a losing effort. This is the first-ever medal for Israel in any age-group European Championship.
Noam Katz, Israel head coach: “We are very happy. This is the first medal in Israel’s history. We were happy just to qualify for the final stage of the European Championship, as it was the first time we managed to do so after years of absence. And now we have won the bronze medal. Obviously, we were a bit disappointed with what happened yesterday. We still think we had a team that could fight for first place. But finishing the championship ahead of France, Italy, and Bulgaria (all Volleyball powerhouses) is an incredible feeling for Israel, especially in a tournament of such a high level. These are the eight best teams in Europe. And we are happy to have this generation, which can compete with these teams and win. And to beat France, the defending European champions. This is incredible for Israeli Volleyball.”
Slimane Belmadi, France head coach: “It is essential to come into the competition with the will to fight because it is not enough to hope that the opponent makes things easy. This group needs to show a mental and collective effort far superior to what has been shown up to this point. Despite some extenuating circumstances, mental determination and collective commitment are crucial to overcoming challenges and achieving important goals.”
Dream Team
The closing ceremony honoured the standout individuals of the tournament. Notably, João Salgueiro gave the local fans a massive reason to celebrate, claiming the Best Libero award for the host country, Portugal.
• Best Setter: Blazej Bien (Poland)
• Best Outside Spiker: Shay Mayo Liberman (Israel)
• Best Outside Spiker: Matej Pastrnak (Czechia)
• Best Middle Blocker: Antonin Klimes (Czechia)
• Best Middle Blocker: Stepan Svoboda (Czechia)
• Best Libero: João Salgueiro (Portugal)
• Best Opposite: Wojciech Gajek (Poland)
• MVP (Most Valuable Player): Vaclav Seidl (Czechia)
The awards were presented by Jorge Carmo, Vice-President of the Municipality of Albufeira; Cristina Corado, Councillor of the Municipality of Albufeira; Leonel Salgueiro, Vice-President of the CEV; Eric Adler and Marek Pakosta, Members of the CEV Board of Administration; Nilüfer Shimonsky, President of the CEV Jury; Claude Kriescher, Secretary of the CEV Jury; and Teodemiro de Carvalho, Secretary General of the Portuguese Volleyball Federation (FPV).