Nikola Grbic revealed the truth before the final. Injury to the national team leader?
Poles and France for gold at European Championship 2026 without Wilfredo Leon? Disturbing news arrives before the tournament final. Is the volleyball player’s problem really serious?
During the semi-final match between Poles and Slovenians, Wilfredo Leon was actually replaced during the third set. Kamil Semeniuk appeared in his position and showed his great side. Semeniuk is an ace in the sleeve of coach Nikola Grbic, as we have written about many times in WPROST.
Wilfredo Leon injured? Nikola Grbic has the latest news
The coach of the Polish national team has no doubt that Leon’s injury is a definite over-interpretation by the media. The knee covered with ice during the European Championship 2026 semi-finals did not mean any major problems. Leon trained normally with the team before the final and will be ready to face the French.
Coach Grbic is here after… a sleepless night.
– I didn’t sleep today, but I don’t have time to be tired (…) We all feel adrenaline. This won’t change. It doesn’t matter if you’re over 50, like me, or a 19-year-old guy. The stress is the same. The difference is in how you react to it. I’ve been in this situation 100 times and I know what will happen. I know what to do when such thoughts cross my mind – admitted the Polish coach on Saturday (i.e. September 26), a few hours before the European Championship 2026 final, for WP/SportoweFakty.
ME 2026: The Polish national team defends the title. Where and when to watch the Polish final?
The Polish national volleyball team has won gold medals in the European Championships twice in its history. Poles won in 2009 and 2023. Historically, Poland won its first title in Turkey, and Piotr Gruszka was honored with the MVP award.
The last tournament, the 33rd edition in the history of the Men’s Volleyball Championship, was held in four countries: North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Israel and Italy. Ultimately, in the final battle in Rome, the Poles defeated the Italians 3-0. The MVP award went to Wilfredo Leon.
Looking at the entire history of the Men’s Volleyball Championships, Poland won a total of 11 medals. This is the third best result in terms of the number of Old Continent championship medals won by Polish representatives. There are two gold medals (2009, 2023), and five silver medals in a row (1975, 1977, 1979, 1981 and 1983). What is even more interesting, at that time only the USSR volleyball players won the championship titles. In the years 1967-91, the Soviet Union national team won 10 titles out of 11 editions of the European Championship.
Poland won four bronze medals at the European Championships, in the editions of 1967 (the first medal for volleyball players in the history of the European Championships) and more recently – 2011, 2019 and 2021.
The final of the European Championship 2026 Poland – France on Saturday (i.e. September 26), starting at 9:00 p.m.
Matches of the European Men’s Volleyball Championship 2026 are shown on Polsat open channels (meetings of the Polish national team) and Polsat Sport. However, you can use the Polsat Box Go platform online.
