Volleyball clubs in our country were shaken up on Tuesday by a statement from Volley Belgium: the Belgian Supercup will not be played this year, as all national federations have been overruled by the FIVB. No official matches involving World Championship players can be organized before October 6 for women and October 20 for men. The international volleyball federation, under the influence of its athletes’ commission where Belgian captain Sam Deroo once served as secretary, has decided that from 2025 onward there will be more weeks reserved for preparation and recovery after major international competitions—11.5 weeks to be exact. In the Olympic year 2028, this will even be extended to 13 weeks.

Disappointment prevails. Among the men, there was a highly anticipated West Flanders derby on the schedule between Knack Roeselare and Decospan Menen—always a guarantee of top-level action. Among the women, the East Flanders teams Asterix Avo Beveren and Dok Noord Ghent were supposed to face each other. As with the men, it would have been another regional showdown that for years has delivered plenty of excitement. But due to the FIVB’s ban—since World Championship players must be given sufficient rest—the entire event has been called off.

“I understand the federation’s reasoning, because they want teams to appear at full strength for this first celebratory moment of the volleyball season,” Menen coach Julien Lemay responded cautiously. “It’s a tough decision, yet at the same time quite strange, because the timing of the announcement in Belgium is—put mildly—very unfortunate. For me it was no surprise, because in France, where I have very good contacts, the Supercup had already been postponed. The FIVB statement had been known for some time. In fact, the opening matchday of the Belgian men’s competition had already been moved to November for the same reason—a very legitimate, enforced break in the overcrowded international calendar. Allow me to find it odd that the same logic was not applied to the Supercup. Luckily, I had already arranged a plan B for next weekend: a friendly against Cambrai Volley, a team from France’s Pro-Ligue B.”

“For us, it mostly feels like a missed opportunity to win the Supercup for the second year in a row,” the Menen coach emphasized. “I remember that winning this first trophy of the season last year sparked a positive vibe in Belgian volleyball for months, especially in Menen. That kind of motivating momentum is now lost.”

“In Belgium, there are only three titles to win: the Supercup, the Belgian Cup, and the national championship. Every opportunity matters,” Julien Lemay explained about his team’s ambitions. “The Supercup was our first target. The Belgian Cup draw this season has also been quite favorable for Menen. So, we dare to say that we aim for the Cup final—and hopefully, to win it too. I know our team is stronger than last year. But so are the other teams. It will be an exciting, high-level league. It is a shame that all the euphoric energy around the national teams—the Yellow Tigers and the Red Dragons—suddenly feels so diminished because of this decision.”

(WV)