The International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) issued an official statement on November 7 regarding the development of the new international calendar. The headquarters confirmed that it is preparing a revised version of the proposal after receiving numerous objections from clubs, professional leagues, national federations, and athletes.
The statement comes just a day after the Italian men's and women's professional leagues and the Volleyball Players' Association announced a united front against the proposed reform under the motto "No clubs, no players, no volleyball."
The FIVB announced that since May 2026, they have been conducting extensive consultations with stakeholders worldwide to develop the international calendar for the period 2029–2032.
"After gathering and listening to the opinions received from the entire volleyball community, we are developing a second version of the calendar, which will be presented to stakeholders before being submitted for final approval by the FIVB Administrative Council," the official statement reads.
There will be no vote on the calendar in November
The international headquarters explicitly clarifies that, contrary to emerging concerns, the new calendar will not be subject to approval during the FIVB World Congress in November 2026.
"We hope to finalize the proposal by the end of the year, but our priority is to ensure it is properly prepared," the federation emphasized.
This means that at this stage, the reform remains under discussion, and a final decision has not yet been made.
FIVB acknowledges that it is impossible to satisfy everyone
One of the most interesting parts of the announcement is the admission that achieving full agreement among the various participants in the volleyball world is practically impossible.
"We realize that it will not be possible to satisfy all viewpoints. Nevertheless, we are confident that our proposal will address the main concerns raised by the various stakeholder groups and help establish the best possible balance for the sport," the FIVB stated.
The International Federation emphasizes that it understands the need to protect the interests of athletes, national federations, clubs, and leagues.
According to its position, any change will only be undertaken if it is in the interest of volleyball globally.
Why did Italian clubs revolt?
On November 6, the Italian men's and women's professional leagues, along with the Volleyball Players' Association, strongly opposed the presented project.
The three organizations pointed out three main problems – increased burden on athletes, devaluation of national championships, and lack of a real solution for the excessively condensed calendar.
Particularly serious objections were raised by the idea of interrupting club championships in December and January, when some of the most important matches for public interest, television rights, and sponsorship deals take place.
The Italian organizations warned that the proposal does not solve the main problem – national championships are concentrated in approximately seven months, and the new model could further complicate the situation.
The dissatisfaction began even before the joint declaration, with Perugia president Gino Sirci standing out among the most active opponents of the project, warning of serious financial consequences for clubs.
Real change or an attempt to calm tensions?
Despite the conciliatory tone, FIVB's position so far does not contain any concrete proposal for changing the controversial elements of the calendar.
It is not clear whether the planned interruption of club championships in winter will be dropped, whether national championships will be given more time, and how the load on players will be limited.
Moreover, the international headquarters does not commit to satisfying all demands, but only states its intention to find the best possible balance.
Another discrepancy is also noticeable. In its official position, FIVB talks about a calendar for the period 2029–2032, while Italian organizations are protesting against a project for 2028–2032. So far, there is no official clarification for this difference.
A crucial stage of negotiations is ahead
The next step will be the presentation of the revised version to the interested organizations.
Only then will it become clear whether the objections of the clubs and players have actually led to significant corrections, or whether it is primarily about a change in the way FIVB defends its project.
The International Federation concludes its position with an assurance that it will continue to listen to different opinions, adapt, and work together with all parties in the interest of the long-term development of volleyball.
For now, however, the main question remains unanswered: will clubs receive real guarantees for the future of national championships, or will they again have to comply with the international calendar determined by FIVB?