Poland defeat Olympic champions France to defend European crown
Poland retained their European men's volleyball crown on Sunday, defeating reigning Olympic champions France 3-1 in a high-intensity final held in the Italian city of Milan.
The victory caps an exceptional season for the Polish squad, who also clinched the Volleyball Nations League trophy earlier this year. Poland sealed the continental triumph following nearly two hours of contested play.
Decisive performances on the court
Bartłomiej Bołądź, Tomasz Fornal, Wilfredo Leon, Bartłomiej Lemański, and Kamil Semeniuk delivered standout performances for the champions, dictating the tempo in crucial rallies.
France, whose lone continental title dates back to 2015, mounted persistent resistance led by Mathis Henno, Théo Faure, and Moussé Gueye.
The match was an exact rematch of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games final. On that occasion, the French team dominated the court, securing gold with a straight-sets 3-0 victory.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
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