Tomasz Fornal did not bite his tongue. The star of the national team about the situation of Poles

The Polish national volleyball team is the leader of the FIVB ranking. We are also talking about the current European champions (2023), Olympic runners-up (2024) and the third team of the World Championship (2025). Poles will certainly treat this year’s Old Continent championship as a tournament in which they want to win the full prize again.

Tomasz Fornal on the situation of the Polish national team. Honest words from a star

The Poles have three group matches under their belt. At the inauguration they defeated Portugal (3:0), then Israel (3:0), and on Sunday (i.e. September 13) they were clearly better than North Macedonia (3:0).

One of the key figures in coach Nikola Grbic’s puzzle is undoubtedly Tomasz Fornal. The host is very calm about what happened in the last days of the European Championship 2026. Additionally, the volleyball player is convinced that most depends on the Poles themselves, and not on the rivals the European champions face.

– Even though I have been playing volleyball for quite a long time and have played many matches, I am not really a fan. It may sound funny, but I don’t watch too much, I don’t analyze too much and I don’t look too much at how other players perform. I think that the most important thing is that we focus on our own game and how we will perform (…) If we play at our own level, at the level at which we can, at the level that satisfies us, we do not have to be afraid of any team in the group. However, we will certainly approach the opponent with respect and determination, because it is important to finish first – admitted Fornal after the Poles’ three victories in front of the Polsat Sport camera.

Coach Grbic tries to rotate the squad, thanks to which he has practically all the players from the 14 matches under his control. This is valuable, especially in the context of the upcoming, increasingly serious challenges facing the Polish team.

ME 2026: The Polish national team defends the title. Where and when to watch Polish matches?

It is worth recalling that Poland has won gold in the European Men’s Volleyball Championship twice in its history. Interestingly, in both cases we are talking about successes achieved in the 21st century. Poles won their first title in 2009. The second one, relatively recently, in the previous edition of the Old Continent championship, i.e. AD 2023 – in the final, defeating the Italians in three sets.

When will Polish volleyball players play the next matches of the European Championship 2026?

• Tuesday (15/09), 6:00 p.m., Poland – Ukraine

• Wednesday (16/09), 6:00 p.m., Bulgaria – Poland

The four best teams from each group at the tournament will advance to the 1/8 finals. Poles play their matches in Bulgaria, more specifically in Sofia. A sports hall of particular importance for Polish volleyball. In 2012, Poland won the World League finals in Sofia – in exactly the same facility.

Matches of the Men’s European Volleyball Championship are shown on Polsat open air (Poland’s match) and Polsat Sport. On the Internet, you can use the Polsat Box Go platform.