Looking Ahead: European Leagues 2023

The CEV national team 2023 volleyball calendar is set to offer another exciting season in the annual European Leagues, Golden and Silver for women and for men.

Czechia will defend its men’s CEV Volleyball European Golden League 2022 title as one of the 12 teams competing in the 2023 edition to be held between May 27 and June 25. Two-time winner (2004 and 2022) Czechia is in Pool C along with two-time winner (2016 and 2018) Estonia, two-time winner (2008 and 2011) Slovakia and 2005 silver medalist Finland.

Turkiye, the most decorated team in the history of the competition with seven podiums, including two titles in 2019 and 2021, will headline Pool A. Last year’s European Silver League winner Romania is also in that pool, in the company of Denmark and 2010 gold medalist Portugal.

2017 European League champion Ukraine and 2013 winner Belgium will compete in Pool B, also featuring the teams of three-time silver medalist North Macedonia and two-time silver medalist Croatia.

As usual, the pool stage will be played in a home-and-away double round-robin format, while Croatia will host the Final Four (semifinals, a bronze medal match and a final) on June 24 and 25.

Women’s European Golden League 2022 winner France is also set to defend its title in 2023 as the ladies’ edition takes place at the same time as the men’s. The Paris 2024 Olympic hosts are among the nine teams joining the pool stage of the competition, also to be contested in a home-and-away double round-robin format. France will compete in Pool C against 2015 champion Hungary and 2017 gold medalist Ukraine.

Last year’s silver medalist and two-time winner (2012 and 2019) Czechia highlights the line-up in Pool B. 2016 runner-up Slovakia and last year’s semifinalist Romania are the other two teams to compete in that pool.

Pool A is headed by a Belgian team, eager to battle its way back to the Volleyball Nations League. It will face a heavy challenge from Sweden, who earned its promotion to the Golden League after winning the Silver League in 2022. Bosnia and Herzegovina is the third squad in Pool A.

The three pool winners will advance to the final phase joined by the hosts of the event.

The two finalists in each gender will qualify for the 2023 edition of the Volleyball Challenger Cup.

The period from between May 27 and June 25 will also feature the 2023 editions of the CEV Volleyball European Silver League in both genders, with a pool stage consisting of two home-and-away double round-robin pools per gender and a Final Four culmination. The winners will earn the right to compete in the 2024 Golden League.

In the men’s Silver League, Pool A consists of Cyprus, Faroe Islands and Latvia, while Pool B features Austria, Georgia and Hungary. On the women’s side, there will be four teams in each pool: Austria, Estonia, Latvia and North Macedonia in Pool A, and Georgia, Faroe Islands, Montenegro and Portugal in Pool B. The Austrian city of Graz will welcome the women’s Final Four.