The curious story involving Nikola Grbić and the ball from the EuroVolley 2026 final in Milan has reached its final conclusion. The head coach of Poland has now revealed why he put it in his backpack after the last point against France – and even stated that he is ready to pay for it if necessary. Television cameras caught Grbić immediately after winning the European title. While attention was focused on the celebrating Polish volleyball players, the Serb took a ball used in the final, opened his backpack, and put it away.
The footage quickly reached Polish social media, where fans reacted to the incident with a sense of humor. “It will sell easily on OLX,” “I would have taken it too,” “So that's what those backpacks are for” were just some of the humorous reactions.

However, it became clear in Milan that Grbić had no intention of turning the ball into an OLX commodity. Artur Gac, Interia Sport's correspondent at EuroVolley 2026, published footage after the final showing the coach with it again. This time, the ball already had numerous autographs, and Grbić continued to collect signatures from his volleyball players. The footage also shows him handing it to Tomasz Fornal to sign.

A few days later, Grbić himself revealed exactly what had happened. Appearing on the TVN show “Fakty po Faktach,” he explained that he had never before taken a ball after such a match.
“I've never done that, but this ball, after Tomek Fornal's golden attack, landed right in my hands, and I thought it would be a wonderful memory of what we achieved this year,” Grbić recounted.
It turns out that the autograph mission has also been completed.
“I have already collected all the signatures and I am taking it with me. Of course, if I have to pay 60, 80, or 100 euros for it – no problem,” the European champions' coach added with a smile.
Thus, a scene that initially seemed like just a funny moment now has a perfectly logical explanation. The ball literally landed in Grbić's hands after the final attack of the match, and he decided to turn it into a personal memento of an exceptional season for Poland.
And there are many reasons why he wants to keep it. Poland defeated France 3:1 (31:29, 25:19, 20:25, 25:16), defended its European title, and secured a quota for the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028.
For Grbić, the success also has another dimension. Since taking over Poland in 2022, he has an impressive streak of ten medals in ten major tournaments, and the European gold in Milan is his tenth jubilee award.
The final itself was particularly emotional for the Serb due to the location. Grbić spent a huge part of his playing and coaching career in Italy, and after the final, he described the country as his “second home.” Some of his closest people – his wife, his son, his sister, and other family members – were also at the Unipol Forum for the championship evening.
And when, years from now, Grbić looks at the ball with his players' signatures, he will hardly need much explanation of exactly what happened in Milan in September 2026.
And if the organizers still ask for the ball – the coach has already announced that he is ready to pay the bill.

photo: Nikolay Varadinov