Slovenian Joker: Klemen Čebulj back to the team!
Feature
On Monday, Slovenia will face Serbia in the eighthfinals of CEV Enel EuroVolley 2026 Men. The team will be strengthened by the return of experienced outside hitter Klemen Čebulj, who is back with the national team for the first time since the Olympic Games in Paris, following captain Tine Urnaut’s injury earlier this week in Modena.
The 34-year-old Klemen Čebulj has been a long-standing member of the Slovenian national team and was part of every EuroVolley squad that went on to win a medal. His collection currently includes three silver medals and the most recent bronze. He was also part of Slovenia’s squad at Paris 2024, but after the Olympic Games decided to take a break from the national team. Now, however, he has returned to help Slovenia in their EuroVolley campaign. Čebulj arrived in Torino on Friday and was registered as a “medical joker” following the injury Urnaut suffered during the pool match against Czechia.
Klemen Čebulj“It’s good to be back. It’s nice to see the new guys, with whom I haven’t played yet, and of course the old ones, with whom we have played together for many years. I see that the energy hasn’t changed. Even if some of the players are new, there is always fire on the court, and we stay together in every situation.”
Čebulj travelled to Torino straight from Rzeszów, where he had already started preparations with Asseco Resovia Rzeszów, the club he has represented since 2020. Interestingly, permission for him to join the national team was given by his club head coach, Gheorghe Crețu - who will now be on the opposite side of the net as Serbia’s head coach.
“We did one month of preparation with the club, and I also trained individually throughout the summer. I am in shape, let’s say like this, but of course we need some time to get the connection on the court. Honestly, I didn’t expect such a situation to happen. I didn’t think about joining the national team because I wished all the best to the guys and hoped they would stay healthy and wouldn’t need someone as a ‘joker’. Obviously, it’s nice that I can help. It didn’t take me long to make the decision, of course. I had to speak with my club and my family, but in the end, everybody agreed. It’s nice to be here, to help the guys and do what I can.”
Slovenia have already used a “medical joker” at EuroVolley before. At the 2023 edition, Dejan Vinčić joined the team shortly before the decisive matches after Gregor Ropret suffered an injury. Vinčić went on to help Slovenia claim the bronze medal in Rome. Čebulj, however, believes his situation is somewhat different.
“For sure, the situation with Vinčić at the previous EuroVolley was much more difficult for him because he didn’t have any time to get used to playing with the team. He came one day before the match for third place. I have some time on the court with the guys, so I hope we can somehow repeat that success, but his story was very, very different from mine.”
Monday’s match will also mark Čebulj’s first competitive appearance for Slovenia since the Paris Olympics. After the Games, he stepped away from the national team and was not part of their training or preparations, making his sessions in Torino his first back with the squad. Watching from afar, however, he still felt the pull of the team.
Klemen Čebulj“Of course, when I watched them, I missed the atmosphere. I missed the guys. But, to be honest, I really enjoyed spending time with my family, with my son and my wife, because I had never really had that experience in the past. I saw him growing through the phone, so it was really amazing to spend that time with them. So, to be honest, I didn’t miss it too much. But now that I’m here, it feels so nice, and I’m really enjoying every moment of it.”
