The Polish PlusLiga – one of the strongest volleyball championships in the world – will start the 2025/2026 season with an important calendar reform. The reason is the overly congested international schedule, which is putting club volleyball under increasing pressure. This was announced on the organization's website.
The league management announced that the matches from the mid-week rounds will no longer be played all at once within 2-3 days, as was previously the case. Instead, they will be spread out over two weeks, so that each match can be held on a convenient day and time – usually 5:30 PM or 8:30 PM.
This change aims to make it easier for fans attending matches after work, to provide a more flexible schedule for clubs, and to allow for better television coverage of the championship.
📆 Overloaded season: PlusLiga starts later and finishes earlier
Due to the global calendar, PlusLiga cannot start the season before October 20 and must conclude by mid-May, as the Champions League final will be played on May 16-17, 2026.
Furthermore, weekly dates are blocked for six rounds of the Champions League group stage, possible playoffs, and quarterfinals, leaving little room for the national championship. This pressure has already led to a reduction in the number of participating teams from 16 to 14, despite the league's potential and interest.
⚠️ FIVB and CEV under fire: club volleyball is under pressure
The President of the Polish Volleyball League, Artur Popko, leveled sharp criticism at FIVB and CEV, accusing them of making decisions that put club volleyball at a disadvantage.
“Every year it becomes more difficult to manage a professional league in a country where volleyball is at the highest level. The international calendar restricts us and hinders the development of clubs,” Popko stated.
He compared the situation to football and handball, where national team and club seasons are better synchronized, and major tournaments are held during winter breaks. This way, the season is not fragmented, and players are not forced to reach peak form several times a year.
📉 Consequences for players and the development of the sport
The current model also has another negative side – teams that do not reach the playoffs finish their season as early as March, and then have no official matches until the end of October. This means over six months without game practice, which halts the development of players.
At the same time, national team players play almost year-round, often without enough time for rest and recovery. According to Popko, this leads to fatigue, a higher risk of injuries, and uneven player development.
🏁 Conclusion: temporary compromise, need for a global solution
The new system for distributing matches throughout the week is a compromise response to a problem that affects not only Poland but all leading volleyball leagues. It will make the championship more accessible to fans and provide more flexibility for clubs, but it does not solve the fundamental issue – the lack of balance between the international and club calendars.
“If changes are not made at a global level, we risk a serious decline in club volleyball. This is not just our problem – it’s a problem for the entire game,” Popko concluded. (Popko is on the far right in the photo)
photo: plusliga.pl(Popko is on the far right in the photo)
