Slovenia qualified for the semifinals of EuroVolley 2026 Men after a 3:1 (25:22, 25:22, 20:25, 25:13) victory over Belgium in Turin. The Belgians lost their captain Sam Deroo due to injury at the end of the first set, but still managed to bring back the intrigue before the Slovenians settled everything with a decisive fourth set.
The match started evenly, and at 18:18 in the first set, the two teams were still going point for point. That's when the big problem for Belgium arose. Deroo felt pain and left the court, with Simon Plaskie taking his place. According to information from Belgian Sporza, it's an adductor problem, with initial concerns even suggesting a slight tear.
The absence of the captain immediately affected the "Red Dragons". Slovenia used the moment and closed the first set at 25:22. In the second, the Belgians again stayed close to their opponent, but hesitation in reception during crucial rallies allowed the Slovenians to win again with 25:22 and take a 2:0 lead.
Belgium, however, refused to give up. Coach Emanuele Zanini made an interesting tactical change – Basil Derom played as an opposite, and Ferre Reggers was moved to outside hitter. The scheme, which the Belgians had also tried in the summer, yielded results. Derom brought additional aggression, Belgium took the lead and won the third set 25:20 after a block by Stijn D'Hulst.
Hopes for a complete comeback, however, were dashed at the very beginning of the fourth set. Slovenia pressed hard from the serve and the score very quickly became 7:1. The Belgians continued to fight but could not close the gap, and the Slovenians closed the set with a decisive 25:13 and the match with 3:1.
Interestingly, despite the defeat, Ferre Reggers was the top scorer in the match with 23 points. For Slovenia, Rok Možič scored 18, Nik Mujanović – 14, and Klemen Čebulj – 12. Basil Derom also finished with 12 points for Belgium.
Thus, Slovenia continues its impressive run in European championships and is once again among the four best teams on the continent. For Belgium, the bitterness remains from the question of how the quarterfinal would have unfolded if Deroo had stayed on the court – this is how Sporza framed the defeat, identifying the captain's injury as the possible turning point in the match.
For Belgian veteran Pieter Coolman, the defeat also has another meaning – this was the last match of his professional career.
In the semifinal in Milan, Slovenia will face Poland, who earlier eliminated Germany with a 3:0 victory.
photos:cev.eu
