Italy opens Men's Eurovolley 2026 against Sweden in outdoor Naples arena

Open-air arena in Naples

The 2026 Men's European Volleyball Championship begins on Thursday, 10 September, with co-host Italy facing Sweden in Piazza del Plebiscito in Naples. Organizers constructed a temporary outdoor arena in the central public square instead of staging the opening match inside a conventional indoor facility. Italian President Sergio Mattarella will attend the fixture, which is scheduled to start at 21:05 local time. Rain had presented a logistical risk that would have forced a relocation to the indoor PalaSele in Eboli, but cleared conditions confirmed the match will proceed in the square. During pre-match assessments at Palazzo San Giacomo, team officials evaluated court conditions, confirming that condensation risks did not materialize and that night lighting against the dark sky provided clear ball visibility.

“The setting of Piazza del Plebiscito is extraordinary even for those from the North. When we arrived on the court, there were minutes of great emotion because the setting is unique. We had seen photos, but in person it is something else.”

Squad readiness and championship ambitions

Italy enters the continental tournament as the reigning 2022 world champion and seeks to regain the European title it won in 2021, having finished as runner-up in the 2023 edition. The men's team steps onto the court shortly after the Italian women's squad secured a silver medal in Istanbul. Head coach Ferdinando De Giorgi has a fully fit roster available for selection, including outside hitter Alessandro Michieletto and captain Simone Giannelli. De Giorgi remarked on the competitive depth of the European field, observing that European nations occupy seven of the top ten positions in the world rankings and provided all four semifinalists at the world championships.

“Well, the emotion was greater than we expected, because we had seen some photos, montages, etc. But yesterday, when we arrived in the square, it was ten minutes of emotion, a mix of emotions, an incredible thing. Among other things, there were all the lights that will be there, there were incredible effects. It is something... in short, we are proud to be protagonists of a unique event in a spectacular setting.”

Opening schedule and Pool A pathway

Italy competes in Pool A alongside Sweden, the Czech Republic, Greece, Slovakia, and Slovenia. The Naples encounter concludes an opening day that features three separate fixtures across the continent.

The tournament matches serve as a qualification pathway toward the knockout rounds. Alongside the continental tournament organization, the Italian Volleyball Federation is managing broader national infrastructure commitments, including a 10 million euro investment plan aimed at addressing sports facility deficits across the country.

Television and digital streaming coverage

The opening match will receive widespread television and streaming distribution in Italy across free and pay-tv networks. State broadcaster Rai 2 will air the match free-to-air, opening its broadcast at 20:55 with Maurizio Colantoni providing play-by-play commentary alongside analyst Andrea Lucchetta, with digital streaming provided on RaiPlay and RaiNews. Subscription television coverage will air on Sky Sport Uno (channel 201) and Sky Sport Arena (channel 204) at 21:00, called by Stefano Locatelli and Andrea Zorzi, following studio analysis starting at 20:30 with Federica Lodi, Rachele Sangiuliano, and Roberto Prini. DAZN will stream the match live starting at 21:00 with commentators Orazio Accomando, Enrica Merlo, and Maria Pia Beltran, while subscribers can also access feeds on NOW, Sky Go, and Eurovolley TV.