Europe’s best set to go head to head with start of 2019 CEV Golden and Silver European Leagues

This year’s renewal of the CEV Volleyball European League will feature 12 men’s and 12 women’s elite teams in the Golden League and another eight in the Silver League, all in pursuit of the total prize pot of € 1.2million at stake in the coming months as well as the opportunity to compete against some of Europe and the World’s elite volleyball nations this year and in 2020.

The composition of the three pools in both the men’s and women’s competitions is a fair reflection of where each national team competing sits in the latest European Rankings.

In the men’s competition 2018 European Golden League winners Estonia will play the Netherlands, Spain and Croatia in Pool B, the latter having moved up to the Golden League after taking top honours from the 2018 Silver League. Pool A is made up of Belgium, Latvia, Slovakia and Turkey, whilst Pool C will feature Belarus, Czech Republic, Finland and Ukraine.

In the women’s competition, 2018 silver medal winners Hungary come into the fray to take on Croatia, France and Austria in Pool B, this after Bulgaria have moved to the Volleyball Nations League after winning the FIVB Challenger Cup in Peru. Last year’s bronze medallists Czech Republic are in Pool A and will come up against 2017 European League winners Ukraine, Slovakia and 2018 Silver European League gold medallists Sweden. Pool C promises to be equally as intriguing with Belarus, Azerbaijan, Finland and Spain.

The initial six legs of the 2019 edition of the CEV Volleyball European Golden League will take place 25 and 26 May, before reaching its climax with the women’s and men’s Finals – the Final Four – being played out across 21, 22 and 23 June in Tallinn, Estonia and Varaždin, Croatia for the men’s and women’s competitions respectively.

The men’s final in Estonia is particularly poignant as the country celebrates its 100th anniversary with the most important volleyball event ever held in the Baltic country, which will take place at the 7,200 capacity Saku Suurhall in Tallinn.

Some of Europe’s up-and-coming teams will feature in the 2019 edition of the CEV Volleyball European Silver League, where as well fighting for the top honours they will be looking to earn the rights to move to the Golden League in 2020.

Eight national teams in both the men’s and women’s competitions are also divided into two pools. Greece return to the European League stage after a break and will have some tough matches in men’s Pool A against Austria, Hungary and rookies Bosnia and Herzegovina. Romania, who earlier qualified for EuroVolley 2019 for the first time since 1995, will play in Pool B against Denmark, Azerbaijan and Georgia.

Romania return to the women’s European League to play Georgia, Israel and newcomers Cyprus in Pool A, while Slovenia lead the charge in Pool B – which features two teams, Portugal and Greece, who secured their ticket to EuroVolley 2019 last August. Estonia return to play in the European League after finishing last year’s competition in fourth place.

The CEV Volleyball European Silver League will begin on 25 and 26 May and after a series of home and away matches, four teams consisting of the organisers, the top teams from each pool and the second best across the two pools will contest the Finals which are due to take place on 28 and 29 June and 29 and 30 June for the women’s and men’s competitions respectively.