Olympic vice-champion removed from the Polish national team? “At the end of the day…”
The beginning of the men’s volleyball representative season is getting closer. It has been known for several days that the team will miss center Norbert Huber for the 2026 season.
Olympic vice-champion (2024), European champion (2023) – generally an important figure in coach Nikola Grbic’s team in recent years. However, for health reasons, Norbert Huber decided not to take part in the 2026 season, looking to the national team competitions.
The midfielder, who has been playing in the Japanese league since the 2025/26 season, obviously had the right to do so, just like several other national team players in the past. Especially since there is still some time left until the most important event of the four-year period, the Olympic tournament. The question is, however, whether Huber’s style of communicating his decision… did not close the door with the inscription “Los Angeles 2028”? That’s the impression you might get.
Norbert Huber outside the Polish national team. Is this the end of the story?
Nikola Grbic was very surprised by the center’s decision. That is, the head of the national team, the coach who put the so-called a wide team – including Huber, along with 37 other representatives.
The player himself – according to the coach – informed him about his absence less than an hour before Grbic’s meeting with journalists in Warsaw, right after landing in Poland. Additionally, the volleyball player posted a statement on social media.
Grbić clearly did not like this formula of “separating” from the team in the 2026 season. He expressed this during his meeting with journalists. The unanswered question remains whether Huber will return to the national team or not?
As one can assume, Jakub Bednaruk expressed his opinion on this matter on the Internet. The former coach, who also worked with the senior Polish national team (under Vital Heynen, Grbic’s predecessor), is currently an expert and commentator for Polsat Sport.
“Coaches of the national team must be sure that the player will jump into the fire and do everything for the national team. They cannot be surprised by phone calls on the day of announcement of call-ups informing about resignation. Everyone must be convinced that both national teams have one common goal – the Olympic Games in Los Angeles. The men are going for gold, and the ladies have to fight for promotion and participation, and we will see what the tournament will bring. At the end of the day, it is actions that are important, not statements on social media,” he wrote Bednaruk in the text on the Polsat Sport website.
The next chapters of this story are left to… interpretation, because the future will show what happens next with Huber in the national team.
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.
