Poland vs. Italy, a clash of giants. There are scores to settle.
There will be those who will prioritize two consecutive gold medals at the Olympic tournaments in Tokyo (2021) and Paris (2024) over the successes of Italy and Poland. This would make France number one among men's volleyball teams. However, if you look at the FIVB rankings, the leaders are Poland, and the Italians are runners-up. That is, the reigning European champions (2023) and world champions (2022).
Nations League: Giants clash for gold in China! Will Poles snatch the gold?The history of the Polish-Italian rivalry is very interesting, looking back at recent years. Many threads are strongly intertwined. The first one, which immediately comes to mind, is the last two finals of very important events for European teams, specifically those involving Poles and Italians.
In 2022, at the Spodek Arena in Katowice, the national team under new coach Nikola Grbić faced their first serious test, earning silver. Although Poland, defending its two-time world champion title (2014 and 2018), started with a set win, Italy fell to the next three. Adding to the excitement was the fact that the Italians won the title under the baton of… the former Polish coach. Ferdinando De Giorgi didn't quite deliver as Poland's coach (to put it mildly), but snatching the World Championship gold medal from the hosts certainly had a special flavor.
Just a year later, however, the time came for a bitter revenge. Harsh, because it didn't end with a 1-3 defeat, but with an even bigger loss. This time, however, it was the Poles who prevailed, winning the European Championship final. Moreover, the final took place – of course – on the Italian Peninsula. In Rome, Poland defeated Italy 3-0.
Interestingly, the clear "difference" between the two finals is Wilfredo Leon. At the 2022 World Cup, coach Grbić didn't have the receiver in his squad, as he was just returning to training after an injury and major surgery. A year later, Leon not only made the tournament team but was also named MVP of the European Championship final.
Now it's time for the VNL final. There's also an interesting story here: since 2018—the year the World League became the Nations League—the Italians haven't even once(!) finished on the podium. Furthermore, they've hosted the final tournament twice (Rimini in 2021 and Bologna in 2022), but that hasn't helped them achieve even the slightest success. So, there's no need to worry about the Italians' motivation on Sunday.
Poland? They have five medals, including one gold, from 2023. If they win the title, they will jump to the top of the all-time VNL standings. Currently, France and Russia have two gold medals each. Poland has one gold, one silver, and three bronze medals.
In the context of the VNL, it's also worth noting that the two teams met in the intercontinental phase of this year's edition. Italy triumphed in Chicago, but with a 3-2 victory after a solid battle with the Poles.
The match will start on Sunday (i.e. August 3) at 1:00 PM Polish time.
Italy defeated Slovenia 3-1 in the semifinals. Starting at 9:00 AM CET, Slovenia and Brazil will compete for the bronze medals at the 2025 VNL.
All matches of the VNL 2025 men's volleyball final tournament will be broadcast on Polsat Sport. Additionally, matches of the Polish national team will be included in the schedule of the open-source Polsat channel. Online broadcasts will be available on the Polsat Box Go platform.
Read also: His arrival helped Poland achieve success. "We persevered through difficult moments." Read also: Poland reaches the final! A great victory and a problem for Nikola Grbić
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