The countdown to the Men's European Volleyball Championship has already begun in Milan. The official Countdown Clock for CEV Enel EuroVolley 2026 was launched in the iconic Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II – a day before a similar ceremony in Sofia.
The clock in the Italian fashion capital will count down the time until the decisive matches of the championship. Milan will host the semi-finals on September 25 and the medal matches on September 26 at the Unipol Forum in Assago.
The ceremony was attended by the Mayor of Milan Giuseppe Sala, the President of the Lombardy region Attilio Fontana, the President of the Italian Volleyball Federation Giuseppe Manfredi, and a number of representatives of local sports institutions. Among the special guests was former Italian national player Matteo Piano – Olympic silver medalist from Rio 2016.

The Italian part of EuroVolley begins on September 10 with the match Italy – Sweden in Piazza del Plebiscito in Naples. After that, the "Azzurri" will continue their participation in Modena, and Turin will host the round of 16 and quarter-finals.
Just one day after Milan, the symbolic countdown will also begin in Sofia. Today, the Bulgarian capital will also unveil its own clock, which will count down the remaining time until the start of EuroVolley 2026.
Thus, two of the key points of the championship – Sofia, where Bulgaria will begin its European campaign, and Milan, where the new champion of the Old Continent will be determined – almost simultaneously enter the rhythm of the big volleyball event.