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National Team News
Only two sides – Czechia and Croatia – are still unbeaten after the first two weeks of the league round of the 2024 CEV Volleyball European Golden League Men, with Croatia having already been assured of a Final Four ticket, as they will host the business end of the competition on 15 and 16 May.
The battle for the other remaining spots is still wide open, with several teams in the hunt, down to the eighth place, as four sides are tied on two wins and two losses, while Ukraine and Portugal rank third and fourth in the standings, with three wins and one loss.
Therefore, everything will be decided in the last four tournaments and the most balanced one looks to be Tournament 12, played in Tarnów, Poland, where Ukraine (3-1), Portugal (3-1) and Belgium (2-2) will be headed for some fiery clashes. Naturally, Ukraine and Portugal hold the advantage, but Belgium look to challenge themselves for a Final Four berth.
Belgium will be riding their two-match winning streak in Beveren, but both Ukraine and Portugal look set to battle it out for a place in the Final Four, with the first match, scheduled for Friday, 31 May, being paramount to their chances of progression.
The other unbeaten side, Croatia, will host Tournament 10 is Osijek, where Spain (2-2) and North Macedonia (1-3) will be trying to derail their bid to finish with an unblemished record entering the Final Four. Spain shared the wins and losses in the past tournament, which means that two wins are mandatory here, while North Macedonia have only virtual chances of progression after losing three matches.
The two unbeaten teams will not face off, but both will host tournaments, as Czechia feature in Tournament 11, alongside Finland (2-2) and Romania (1-3). This is the last chance for the Scandinavian side, while Romania (1-3) need a miracle to follow through to the Final Four, after conceding three losses and failing to make use of their excellent form at the CEV EuroVolley 2023 Men, where they went into the quarter-finals.
On the other hand, Estonia, which are now on two wins and two losses, host Tournament 9, where they face Azerbaijan and Luxembourg, two teams which have not won so far, having eight losses combined between them. Two wins for the hosts would put them on track to challenge for a spot in the first four sides, with the Baltic side automatically trying to secure their place in the Final Four.
Last chance saloon for Iceland in the Silver League
Austria, Iceland and Israel are the three teams in action in the 2024 CEV Volleyball European Silver League Men, with the match between Austria and Israel setting up the two unbeaten teams so far in Strumica, North Macedonia.
Iceland are on one win and three losses so far and only two wins would set them on a path to the final, which will be played on 13 and 16 June, in a doubleheader. However, these could also be their last two matches, therefore any mistake for the Nordic side would result in failing to earn one of the top two places in the standings.