With regret, we must cancel the Volleyball Supercup scheduled for Sunday 5 October 2025 at the Arenahal (Antwerp, Deurne).

The international volleyball federation FIVB, which has final responsibility for both international and national competitions, has decided that players who took part in the World Championship in Thailand (women) and the World Championship in the Philippines (men) may only return to play from 6 October 2025 (women) and 20 October 2025 (men). This mandatory rest period is part of the FIVB 2025–2028 calendar, which puts athlete well-being first. Late last week, the FIVB communicated that these guidelines apply not only to the start of the league season, but also to matches such as the Supercup. This is therefore a stricter application of the guidelines than in previous years.

As a result, Knack Roeselare and Asterix Avo Beveren would only have been able to play their Supercup match with significantly reduced squads. Volley Belgium has deliberately chosen not to do so. The Supercup is the festive opening of the season. Even though the teams with internationals were willing to play without their strongest line-ups, we prefer a fair sporting contest between full squads and an event that our fans and partners deserve.

“The Supercup is meant to be the festive kick-off to the season. If that cannot happen in optimal conditions, then cancelling is the only right decision,” says Guy Juwet, President of Volley Belgium.
Rescheduling the Supercup is practically impossible given the very busy season calendar.

Tickets
Fans who have already purchased a ticket will be contacted personally with information about refunds. Please allow us some time to handle this correctly from an administrative point of view.

We understand the disappointment of supporters, the host club, the participating clubs and our partners. Thank you for your understanding. Let’s look forward together to a strong start to the season.