Slovakia has officially been granted co-hosting rights for part of the 2028 Women's European Volleyball Championship. The decision has been confirmed by the Administrative Board of the European Volleyball Confederation (CEV), the headquarters announced.
Slovakia becomes the second officially announced co-host country after Spain. EuroVolley 2028 will again feature 24 national teams, divided into four groups across four different countries. The other two host countries are yet to be announced.
The Slovak group will play in the x-bionic sphere Olympic Center in Šamorín, with the particularly interesting detail being that a new Olympic Arena is planned for the championship, which is yet to be built. The idea is for the entire group stage in Slovakia to be concentrated in one location.
Thus, the European volleyball elite will return to Slovakia nine years after EuroVolley 2019. Back then, the country was among the hosts of the championship, and the matches were played in Bratislava.
The President of the Slovak Volleyball Federation, Marek Rojko, described receiving the hosting rights as a result of the stabilization and development of Slovak volleyball in recent years.
According to him, EuroVolley 2028, along with hosting the U16 Girls' European Championship in 2027, is part of the largest investment in Slovak volleyball in its history. The project is not limited solely to sports infrastructure but should also contribute to the popularization of volleyball in the country.
CEV President Rocco Sikiric also welcomed the Slovak bid and emphasized the project's potential.
"Slovakia has a clear vision and a strong structure, and I believe this will lead to further progress in terms of attendance, event organization, and commercial development," Sikiric stated during the press conference at the Olympic Museum in Bratislava.
CEV will continue to work with the Slovak Federation on the organization of both EuroVolley 2028 and the U16 European Championship in 2027.
The first confirmed co-host for EuroVolley 2028 was Spain, with matches there to be held in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. This will also be the first time in history that Spain hosts matches from a men's or women's European Championship at national team level.
Slovakia has already secured participation in EuroVolley 2028 through sporting merit, having finished among the top four teams in the European League in 2026. According to the CEV qualification system, the spot that becomes available due to its host status will be transferred to another team in accordance with the established rules for quota allocation.
photos:cev.eu
