Italy and Poland to host inaugural U21 and U22 European Championships

Italy and Poland will be playing host later this summer to the very first edition of #EuroVolleyU21W and #EuroVolleyU22M, respectively. Two major Volleyball nations will provide Europe’s rising Volleyball guns with an opportunity to hone their skills even further and to compete for the first-ever European Championship titles in these age groups.

Last year, after liaising with its stakeholders and primarily after gauging the interest of National Federations, the CEV decided to introduce an additional age-group competition for U22 men and U21 women in order to aid the transition of young talented players to the senior ranks. The two events in Italy and Poland will feature eight nations – i.e. the teams of the host country plus another seven to qualify through a single round of qualifications scheduled for late May 2022.

The Final Rounds in Italy and Poland will run from July 8 to 17 (exact dates TBC), 2022. Including the host countries of the Finals, as many as 24 and 18 teams have registered for participation in the inaugural edition of #EuroVolleyU22M and #EuroVolleyU21W. In the final round, there will be two pools with four teams each – with the top two progressing to the semis and eventual medal matches.

Italy are the reigning U20 world champions following their success at last year’s competition held in the Netherlands and Belgium. Therefore, they will for sure cherish the opportunity to compete for further glory, this time on home soil in Andria and Cerignola.

“We are really happy to host the rising stars of European Volleyball here in Italy,” says the President of the Italian Volleyball Federation, Giuseppe Manfredi. “In July, we will be able to attend a top-level competition allowing us to carefully observe the future international stars of the sport. The U21 is a particular age group: indeed, when there are positive conditions, it often opens the doors of the senior national team. It is therefore reasonable to expect an exciting tournament played at a high technical level. #EuroVolleyU21W will be taking place in Apulia, my own home, and a region that loves Volleyball; as National Federation President I am therefore even happier with this opportunity.”

Poland are the bronze medal winners from last year’s U21 Men’s World Championship – where they completed an all-European podium featuring Italy and Russia as well. With the world’s top three teams in this age group all due to contest #EuroVolleyU22M, there is plenty to look forward to when the Final Round takes place later this summer in Poland.

“I am very glad that #EuroVolleyU22M will be hosted in Poland. We take Volleyball seriously at all levels and take pride in our system of youth training, which is directly connected with the success of the senior national team. This particular age group is special in that the players are on the verge of their senior careers, where all stakes start to grow rapidly. At the same time, it is a true pleasure to witness the enthusiasm, pure emotions and sheer joy of play, combined with an already high level of technical abilities these young players possess. I am happy that we will be able to share it all with the fans here in Poland,” said PVF President Sebastian Świderski.

2024 edition of #EuroVolleyU18M to take place in Bulgaria

Moreover, at their last meeting held in late December in Budapest, the CEV Board of Administration confirmed Bulgaria as the organisers of #EuroVolleyU18M in 2024. This event will continue Bulgaria’s success story in the delivery of age-group international competitions as the Balkan country continues to play a pivotal role in growing the game at all levels.

“It is a great honour for us to host #EuroVolleyU18M in 2024. Over the last years, Bulgaria successfully organised high-level tournaments such as the 2018 men’s World Championship and EuroVolley 2021 Women. The development of youth players is one of the main priorities of the Bulgarian Volleyball Federation. We focus our attention as much as possible on our young players. Therefore, hosting #EuroVolleyU18M is a great challenge for our Federation, our coaches and the players who will be on the national team at that time. I can guarantee Bulgaria will show its best face in front of the visitors who will come in 2024,” said Lubomir Ganev, President of the Bulgarian Volleyball Federation.