Italy faces Greece in Modena for second 2026 Men's European Volleyball Championship fixture

Modena hosts Italy's second Pool A fixture

The Italian men's national volleyball team will face Greece on Saturday evening at the PalaPanini in Modena, marking their second fixture in Pool A of the 2026 Men's European Volleyball Championship. Head coach Ferdinando De Giorgi leads an Azzurri squad looking to build on their opening 3-0 victory against Sweden. The opening match, staged outdoors in Piazza del Plebiscito in Naples in front of 6,000 spectators including Italian President Sergio Mattarella, attracted over 1.5 million television viewers on Rai 2. The match against Greece is scheduled to start at 21:05 local time, with Italy seeking to maintain early control of a preliminary pool that also features the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Slovenia.

Squad focus and physical preparation

Italian veteran Simone Galassi recalled that playing outdoors in Naples presented an unfamiliar challenge against a Swedish team that showed competitive qualities, though Italy managed to impose its game from start to finish. The squad has now transitioned its focus to the indoor court in Modena. Galassi emphasized that the team is physically prepared for the demands of a tournament schedule that continues with a third group match on Sunday, 13 September at 21:05.

Now focus turns to Greece, which is a formidable opponent. We cannot wait to take the court here in Modena, we want to embrace our fans again and play a high-level match. We are in good physical shape, which is very important for facing a long European Championship, and we are ready to battle in every match now.

Tournament format and Olympic qualification stakes

The 2026 European Championship features 24 national teams divided across four preliminary groups of six. The tournament is co-hosted by Italy, Bulgaria, Finland, and Romania, with the final four round scheduled to conclude in Milan. Under the competition structure, the top four teams from each six-team pool advance to the round of 16. Italy enters the tournament as reigning 2024 Olympic champions and 2025 World champions, targeting a continental title that has eluded them for four years. The European champion will also secure the first direct qualification quota for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Greece, which opened its campaign against the Czech Republic, enters the fixture as an outsider after finishing no higher than 16th place in the previous three editions of the tournament.

Broadcast schedule and European matchday action

Saturday's tournament schedule includes three televised matches across European pools. Action begins in the afternoon with France facing Turkey, followed by Bulgaria against Ukraine, before Italy takes the court against Greece in the evening window.

The match in Modena will be broadcast live in Italy on free-to-air television on Rai 2, featuring commentary from Maurizio Colantoni alongside technical analyst Andrea Luchetta and sideline reporter Edi Dembiski, with pre-match coverage starting at 20:55. Subscription television coverage will be available on Sky Sport Uno and Sky Sport Arena with commentary from Stefano Locatelli and Andrea Zorzi, while live digital streaming will run across RaiPlay, Sky Go, Now, DAZN, and EuroVolley TV.