Poland retained the European men’s volleyball championship by defeating Olympic champions France 3–1 in the final in Milan. The set scores were 31–29, 25–19, 20–25 and 25–16. The title defence also secured Poland a ticket to the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, dpa reported.
The result reinforced Poland’s position at the top of the world rankings. The team had already won the Nations League earlier this year. France, coached by former Germany manager Andrea Giani, took silver—an achievement after a major squad overhaul following the Paris 2024 Olympics.
The final paired the two teams responsible for Germany’s only defeats at the tournament. France beat Germany in the group stage, while Poland ended the German run in the quarter-finals.
Finland claimed bronze and its first-ever European Championship medal, beating Slovenia 3–0 in the third-place match. The Finns had earlier eliminated Italy, the reigning world champion and host nation.