Four teams remained in the battle for the men's European title. Today in Milan, Poland and Slovenia will determine the first finalist of EuroVolley 2026, and later France will face the big sensation of the championship, Finland.
The day before the semi-finals, the coaches and captains of the four teams stood together before the media in Milan. The messages were different, but everyone agreed on one thing – at this stage of the tournament, knowing the opponent and tactics are no longer enough. Mentality, patience, and the ability to play at the highest level in moments of greatest pressure will be decisive.

Poland: Pressure comes from within

Poland arrived in Milan as the reigning European champion with the ambition not just to reach the title match again. The stakes are even higher because the European champion will also receive a direct quota for the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028.
Captain Aleksander Śliwka did not hide that high expectations exist, but emphasized that the most serious demands on the team come from the players themselves.
"So far the season is great, but we don't want to stop here. We are happy to be in Milan and fighting for the European title and a ticket to the Olympic Games in Los Angeles. The pressure comes primarily from ourselves," was the captain's main message.
Nikola Grbić views the upcoming two days in a similar way. According to him, Poland has already reached the stage where what you know about the opponent is not as crucial as whether you can show your own game when the pressure becomes greatest.
The Serbian specialist warned that every opponent against Poland is ready to take maximum risk. Therefore, his team must be prepared for periods where even good play will not immediately yield results.

Slovenia: No secrets, we must stay in the match

For Slovenia, the match against Poland has almost become a European classic. The two teams will meet in the EuroVolley semi-finals for the fourth consecutive time. In 2019 and 2021, the Slovenians won 3:1 each time, and in 2023, Poland took revenge with the same score and then became European champion.
Fabio Soli, however, does not seek support in history. The Italian acknowledges the immense power of the current Polish squad but sets a very specific task for his players – this time, Slovenia must stay in the match until the end.
"We want to develop our volleyball and get closer to the limit of our capabilities. Against Poland, we might even need something more. We want to take a step forward compared to the Nations League semi-final, when we couldn't stay in the match – this time the goal is to be equal throughout," Soli explained.
The Slovenian coach describes Poland's consistency as one of its strongest weapons. According to him, the Poles can strike in practically every element – attack, serve, and block, and the depth of the squad allows Grbić to react to any situation.
Alen Pajenk, on the other hand, reduced the upcoming match to its simplest formula – the two teams know each other too well for there to be big secrets. Everything will depend on execution and concentration on the specific day.

France: This time we won't be surprised

The French were preparing for a semi-final against Italy. Instead, the world champion was eliminated, and Andrea Giani and his staff had to quickly readjust their preparation to a team that had already inflicted one of their most painful losses in recent years.
The French staff has no illusions about Finland's quality. National team manager Pierre Pujol describes them as an extremely complete squad – with strong receivers in the form of brothers Luka and Noa Marttila, a progressing setter in Fedor Ivanov, a serious serve, physicality in the middle, and very good tactical organization.
And it is precisely last year's match that is the warning France cannot ignore. Finland defeated the French 3:2 at the World Championship and contributed to their early elimination. Now the stake is a place in the European final.
The French fully acknowledge their opponent's well-deserved presence among the last four. The difference is that this time Finland can no longer surprise them with its level. After the victory over Italy, everyone knows what Kunari's team is capable of.

Finland: Faith was not born against Italy

While the presence of Poland, Slovenia, and France in Milan can hardly be described as a surprise, the fourth semi-finalist overturned preliminary expectations.
Finland eliminated the host and reigning world champion Italy with a score of 3:2 (21:25, 28:26, 25:16, 20:25, 15:13) and reached the semi-finals of a European Championship for the second time in its history since 2007.
For Olli Kunnari, however, this is not a story that began in Turin. The Finnish coach rewinds to the 2025 World Championship, when his young team defeated France 3:2. According to him, this match was among the key moments in the team's development – proof to the players themselves that they can stand up to the strongest.
A year later, Finland no longer arrives against France simply as a sympathetic underdog. The victory over Italy showed how far this squad has come, and its great weapon remains the ability not to change its behavior regardless of the result.
The young Finnish team has already gone through a series of tough matches at EuroVolley and continues to show composure in crucial moments. Now, they will once again face the opponent against whom they began to build the conviction that their place could be among the best.

Milan determines the finalists

The first semi-final between Slovenia and Poland starts today at 6:00 PM Bulgarian time. Finland and France will face each other at 10:05 PM.
The four teams reached Milan by different paths. Poland carries the weight of the reigning champion, Slovenia once again gets a chance against an opponent with whom they have a long history in eliminations, France must avoid a repeat of the painful lesson from the last World Championship, and Finland has already crossed the line between a pleasant surprise and a real contender for a medal.
From now on, two matches remain. And as the semi-finalists themselves emphasized in Milan – there are few secrets between them. The decision will be on the court.