Controversy surrounding the decision in the Polish national team. There is one answer

It seems that the arrangement proposed by Nikola Grbic is simple. The Serb is able to look towards individual volleyball players and trust them. In return, however, players must take into account the requirements, where there are no concessions. The common goal can only be achieved by conscientiously following instructions.

The boss is coach Grbic. His charges… remain his charges.

Aleksander Śliwka as Kamil Semeniuk? Consistency in the volleyball team

Even before the names of those called up to the Polish national team for the 2026 season were announced, there was another thread, probably the loudest one, about the call-up for Bartosz Kwolek. A man who stands out in the PlusLiga ranks also shines in European cups, but he was in coach Grbic’s team only at the beginning of his term.

The star of Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie was again left out of the national team. Grbic not to change his decision. It seems that Norbert Huber also joined this group. A group of volleyball players who will not necessarily follow the national coach into fire.

Although in the case of the middle one, at least officially, health turned out to be the most important thing. However, the resignation from the staff season and the style of its transfer left a lot to be desired. Hence, we can draw a conclusion, perhaps incorrect, that calls into question Huber’s presence in Grbic’s appointments in the following years.

On the other hand, the Serb is loyal to proven representatives. It seems that Aleksander Śliwka will be a good example of this theory in the 2026 season. Going a little deeper, the player from PlusLiga left two years ago (i.e. 2024) as a truly fulfilled man. Śliwka became the leader of ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle, among others. winning the Champions League trophies three times, what’s more, also consolidating his position in the Polish national team. Mentally, Śliwka has matured to be a reference point and a direct support for captain Bartosz Kurek.

After a fantastic 2023 season and the significant lifting of the trophy for winning the Nations League in Tri-City’s Ergo Arena (Śliwka accompanied by Kurek), during the 2023/24 club season there was a breakdown in the receiver’s career. ZAKSA saw a terrible end to its great era – not even qualifying for the play-offs. Śliwka himself suffered a complicated finger fracture, and it took him a long time to recover fully. However, Grbic took the player to the Olympic tournament, just like Łukasz Kaczmarek, who was also “battered” in ZAKSA’s ranks. Bartosz Bednorz stayed in the country, whose absence was eloquently mentioned by the coach himself in an interview with #VolleyTime.

After winning Olympic silver, Śliwka went to Japan. The stay at Suntory Sunbirds was certainly not what the volleyball player himself expected, tasting a foreign destination for the first time in his career. Another period of treatment, no regular play, only to be among those called up again – this time for the 2025 season.

And here Śliwka’s great bad luck, i.e. an injury already in Tricity, before the start of the VNL tournament – ironically – again in Ergo Arena. What’s worse, the injury is so serious that it not only ruins the representative season, but also puts a huge question mark on the club’s future and even… the very fact of practicing volleyball and functioning normally. However, Śliwka came back again and became a volleyball player for Halkbank Ankara. The 2025/26 season for the Pole was mainly a “wear and tear” and an important step towards normality, because of a really terrible injury.

Grbic did not forget about Śliwka once again. Moreover, in the absence of Bartosz Kurek, the receiver will be the captain of the Polish national team. In this respect, the role of this volleyball player remains important. The fact of the player’s current form can be questioned when compared to his competitors in the position, and there is no shortage of great names in the squad. However, knowing Śliwka, the volleyball player will probably do everything to be indispensable to the team again. Because as with a well-functioning team, not everything can be found in the statistics. There is also everyday life, group functioning, cooperation to achieve specific results.

The coach himself talked more about the plan for 2026.

– I have the big picture in my mind. Of course there are three things. Rest for experienced players. Give yourself time to regenerate, take some time off, have a vacation. These same players must prepare for the final stages of the tournaments we want to win. And at the same time I have to develop these young players. Who will be the future of Polish volleyball. My goal, our goal, is Los Angeles 2028, but we also have to continue after these Games. Develop these young players so that they are ready to continue what Wilfredo Leon, Tomasz Fornal, Bartosz Kurek and Mateusz Bieniek are currently doing. And that’s why I keep these three things in mind. Developing young players, taking some time off for experienced players, and at the same time continuing to play and win, which is not easy – noted Grbic, which we wrote about in more detail in a separate text after the visit to Warsaw in WPROST.

The Serb also mentioned Śliwka.

– That’s why I keep in mind how much time off to give individual players. They each have their own things going on in their careers. For example, Olek Śliwka. He doesn’t need to play because he has no experience. He needs to play because he had a very serious injury and came back a month or a half ago. And he has to play, said the coach of the Polish national team.

It seems that this may be a similar case to Kamil Semeniuk after his first season in Italy. The Pole went to the Apennine Peninsula as a ZAKSA star. The man from Kędzierzyn-Koźle, who won the Champions League gold (together with Śliwka), and was also elected MVP of the final (Śliwka was awarded a year earlier).

However, Perugia turned out to be a completely different reality. And although Semeniuk could not boast of a successful opening in Italy, he continues to play there to this day. And Grbic called the receiver to the national team for the 2023 season, boldly choosing Semeniuk, thanks to which the representative regained the right rhythm, which over time allowed him to transfer his value from the Polish national team to the Italian reality.

There would probably be more examples, after all, Bartosz Kurek also got his time – after suffering injuries – and the above-mentioned Huber, who was included in the team for the most important tournaments of the previous year. However, Grbic consistently believes in his choices, regardless of the ubiquitous hints.

Of course, there will be those who will criticize the system introduced by the Serb. However, it seems that such team building still has more supporters than opponents – also among the interested parties themselves.

Polish volleyball players will start their representative season at the end of May. There will be a friendly tournament, which will be played – first in the ArcelorMittal Park Arena in Sosnowiec (May 20) – and then in Spodek in Katowice (May 22-23). In addition to Poland, the game will feature the teams of Bulgaria, Serbia and Ukraine.

Is Nikola Grbic a guarantee of medals for the Polish team? Statistics don’t lie!

The Serbian coach has been working in the Polish national team since the beginning of 2022. In the case of Grbic, it can be safely admitted that whatever the coach touches, he turns into a medal. Statistics show clearly – in each of the most important events (i.e. Olympic Games, World and European Championships, Nations League), Poles, under the baton of the current coach, stood on the podium.

Starting from 2022: silver in the World Championships and bronze in the VNL. Then 2023, definitely the most successful year for Poles – two golds, the European Championship and the Nations League. In 2024, VNL bronze and silver in the Olympic tournament. Last season? VNL gold and World Championship bronze medals.

It is therefore hardly surprising that Poles are the leader of the FIVB world ranking. Poland has held this position, with minor breaks, for many years. The first long-term domination in this ranking on the white and red side lasted from June 2022. After slight perturbations in 2025, when the Poles fell to the second position for a moment, everything returned to “normal” in July last year.

It is therefore no surprise that regardless of the composition of the Polish national team, it is indicated in every possible place as one of the favorites to play for the most valuable laurels. This is not only the merit of coach Grbic, but certainly the consistently built position, actually since the runner-up finish in the world championship in… 2006.