The future of PlusLiga will be decided in a moment. This will be a key vote
One of the most controversial ideas in recent years in domestic volleyball was the expansion of the PlusLiga to sixteen teams. The overloaded competition calendar and their level, in some matches lower than before, may soon cause serious consequences.
From the 2022/23 season, instead of fourteen, we can watch sixteen teams in the PlusLiga volleyball team. After this change, there were many voices of dissatisfaction regarding the quality and number of meetings. Although more clubs got a chance to play in the elite, it did not necessarily translate into actual positive effects. Perhaps the old order in the competition will be restored soon.
President of Indykpol AZS Olsztyn on the reduction of PlusLiga
The guest of the “Sportowy Olsztyn” program was the head of one of the clubs that has had a secure place in the national elite for many years. Tomasz Jankowski, president of Indykpol AZS Olsztyn, revealed that it is very likely that the number of teams in PlusLiga will be reduced. This could be a response to voices of dissatisfaction with the overloaded calendar of domestic competitions.
– (…) Isn’t sixteen teams too many? On November 28, a general meeting of shareholders will be held in Warsaw, where all club presidents will be present. There will be a motion to reduce the PlusLiga to fourteen teams in two years. Which means that next season not one, but three teams will be relegated. It’s scary to think what will happen after this meeting, because the search for Poles to complete the squads will pick up again. Nobody will want to say goodbye to PlusLiga next year. It will be a difficult season if this happens, admitted Jankowski.
However, as is most often the case, some are “for” and some “against” the idea of reducing the number of teams in PlusLiga. This promises to be an interesting vote that may shake up the competition.
– There will be a vote of all presidents. I know that the strongest clubs are in favor of reducing the PlusLiga to fourteen teams. One or two clubs were even in favor of reducing it to twelve clubs. Because there are too many matches. But certainly the clubs at the bottom of the table will do everything to maintain the current state, i.e. the sixteen-team PlusLiga. Of course, no one wants to be relegated – added the president of Indykpol AZS, a very solid team from PlusLiga.
The Polish champions are the leader at the beginning of the competition
Jastrzębski Węgiel, Projekt Warszawa, Trefl Gdańsk and Grupa Azoty ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle. This is what the top four of PlusLiga look like after three rounds of the 2023/24 season. What’s more, the quartet was named to the team that was the only one to remain undefeated. The leaders are the Polish champions from Jastrzębie-Zdrój, who, like Projekt and Trefl, lost only one set in three matches.
ZAKSA had a bit more problems. The Polish runners-up have had a difficult derby match with PSG Stal Nysa, from 0-2 in sets to 3-2 in the final. Interestingly, the Nysa team also played against Jastrzębski Węgiel. However, the defending champions defeated coach Daniel Pliński’s team quickly, winning in three sets.
