Turkey announced its final squad for the Men's European Volleyball Championship, which begins on September 9. The Turkish national team is of particular interest to Bulgaria, as it is among the potential opponents of the "Lions" as early as the 1/8-finals in Sofia.
The reason is the EuroVolley 2026 format. Bulgaria is in Group B, and Turkey is in Group D, and it is the teams from these two groups that cross over in the first stage of the direct eliminations. The pairings will be B1 – D4, D2 – B3, D1 – B4, and B2 – D3.
This means that if Bulgaria finishes first in the group, they will meet the fourth-placed team from Group D; if second, the third-placed team; if third, the second-placed team; and if fourth, the group winner.
Turkey will play in Cluj-Napoca, where the competition for the top positions is expected to be serious. Group D also includes Olympic champion France, Germany, hosts Romania, Switzerland, and Latvia. Therefore, it is entirely possible for the Turkish team to land in one of the positions that could send them against Bulgaria in Sofia.
The final squad for Turkey includes the two Lagumdzija brothers. Adis Lagumdzija is among the team's main weapons as an opposite hitter, while Mirza Lagumdzija is among the outside hitters. The other opposite hitter is Kaan Gürbüz.
The setters are Murat Yenipazar and Hilmi Şahin. In the middle, Turkey will rely on Ahmet Tümer, Mert Matić, Ahmet Samet Baltacı, and Yunus Emre Tayaz, while the liberos are Berkay Bayraktar and Abdulsamet Yalçın.
Turkey's squad for EuroVolley 2026:
Setters:Murat Yenipazar, Hilmi Şahin
Opposite Hitters:Adis Lagumdzija, Kaan Gürbüz
Outside Hitters:Gökçen Yüksel, Efe Bayram, Mirza Lagumdzija, Cafer Kırkıt
Middle Blockers:Ahmet Tümer, Mert Matić, Ahmet Samet Baltacı, Yunus Emre Tayaz
Liberos:Berkay Bayraktar, Abdulsamet Yalçın
Turkey begins its participation on September 10 with one of the key matches in the group – against Germany. On September 12, the Turks will face France, a day later they play Switzerland, on September 14 they will play against hosts Romania, and on September 16 they will conclude the group stage against Latvia.
The first two matches – against Germany and France – can largely determine Turkey's position in Group D, and from there, their possible opponent in Sofia. For Bulgaria, the developments in Cluj-Napoca will be important, because any of the top four teams in Group D could be on our national team's path as early as the 1/8-finals.