French volleyball star Earvin Ngapeth will officially return to Tours Volley-Ball, where his great career began. The outside hitter has signed a two-year contract for the 2026/27 and 2027/28 seasons, and the horizon is more than clear – maintaining a high competitive level on the way to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
The two-time Olympic champion with France – from Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 – returns to League A after years in Italy and Turkey, with a trophy cabinet full of national and international accolades.
According to information from the French media outletL'Indépendant, Earvin Ngapeth will receivejust over 300,000 euros per season, which means a total ofover 600,000 euros for his two-year contract with Tours.
“15 years later, a story begins again”
The French volleyball league summarized the news with a short but powerful message:
“15 years later, a story is about to begin again.”
Ngapeth was developed in Tours, where he made his first big steps in men's volleyball at the beginning of the previous decade. His return is not just a transfer, but a symbolic closing of the circle – from a talent with immense potential to a leader of Olympic France.
The publication also emphasizes the emotional connection – Tours is Ngapeth's "club of the heart." The continuation, as the league wrote, "is being written by TVB."
The path back to France
After the Olympic gold in Paris in 2024, Ngapeth made an unexpected turn – he returned to France and spent about three months at his hometown club Poitiers, where he once again wore the jersey of the team from which he started his journey to professional volleyball.
A short period in Indonesia followed, and then a stay in Turkey, from where he will now head to Tours. This move shows a clear strategy – a stable environment, a familiar championship, and control over the workload in the Olympic cycle.
Sofia 2012 – a memory Bulgaria doesn't forget
For Bulgarian fans, Ngapeth's name inevitably brings back the drama in Sofia in 2012. In the second Olympic qualifier, Bulgaria eliminated France and secured its spot at London 2012.
The image remained eternal – young Ngapeth, sitting on the ground and crying, and next to him, our captain Andrey Zhekov, comforting him. A photo that circulated worldwide agencies and became a symbol of sport – from pain to respect between rivals.
New clash on the horizon
History once again pits Bulgaria against France. The two teams will meet in the last week of the Nations League, which adds extra intensity to the rivalry.
Today Ngapeth is different – a mature leader, an Olympic champion, and one of the faces of modern French volleyball.
And in Tours, history begins again – 15 years later.
photo:tvf.org.tr
