After nearly four weeks of rigorous training in Kolašin, along with two test matches against Austria, the top Montenegrin volleyball players are prepared for the decisive matches of the 2026 European Championship qualifiers coming up next week—one in Tabor against the Czech Republic and another in Kolašin against Norway.

This young team, which is maturing together, aims to enhance its performance in the latter part of Group C. Coach Rastko Milenković highlights the positive atmosphere within the team as a crucial advantage.

“The team camaraderie is exceptional. We’ve approached our preparations with utmost seriousness, maintaining a great pace, and importantly, we’ve avoided injuries. Next week, we head to the Czech Republic where we will encounter a formidable opponent—a genuine opportunity to showcase all our hard work. We are well-prepared and confident, ready to compete to the finish against a team we know from the Golden League and previous European Championships. We aim to leave a positive impression with this young squad and conclude the qualifiers with a strong performance against Norway in Kolašin,” shared the new Buducnost recruit.

The team will continue training at their base at SC “Kolašin” until Tuesday, when they depart for Tabor, a city in central Bohemia. There, they will play their second qualifying match against their EuroVolley 2023 rival and the Podgorica Golden League team from this June. This will mark the “reds'” third match in Group C of the upcoming championship qualifiers.

After 25 days of training, coach Ivica Jevtić has finalized a roster of 14 players for the concluding preparations and upcoming matches. The list includes: technicians Rastko Milenković and Marko Joksimović; setters Đorđe Jovović, Milutin Pavićević, and Luka Lojić; serve receivers Nemanja Peruničić, Vasilije Milenković, Vukašin Cimbaljević, and Vuk Stanojević; middle blockers Nikola Đurović, Matija Ćinćur, and Dalibor Lečić; as well as liberos Andrija Joksimović and Milan Rovčanin.

The match against the Czech Republic is scheduled for Wednesday at 18:00, while the clash with Norway will take place on Sunday, August 17, at SC “Kolašin,” starting at 19:00.

Montenegro currently has no points following last year’s qualifying round, suffering losses of 3:0 to Norway and 3:1 to the Czech Republic.

The European Championship will be hosted in Bulgaria, Finland, Italy, and Romania. In addition to the four host teams, the eight top teams from the previous championship (Poland, Slovenia, France, the Netherlands, Serbia, Ukraine, Germany, and Portugal) will participate, along with the winners of the seven qualifying groups and the five best runners-up.

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