Exactly one hundred days after the start of their international campaign, the Yellow Tigers are set to begin their European Championship. Following an intense summer featuring the Volleyball Nations League (VNL), several training camps and friendly matches, Belgium travel to Azerbaijan with confidence. In the pool stage, the Tigers will face Spain, Portugal, Romania, hosts Azerbaijan and the Netherlands.

“After one hundred days together, we are really looking forward to this tournament,” says head coach Kris Vansnick. “We have trained a lot, travelled extensively and spent an incredible amount of time together. A European Championship is the event you work towards throughout the entire summer. We are ready to turn that preparation into energy, determination and strong performances.”

Squad depth as a major asset

The past few months have been all about continued development for the Yellow Tigers. During the VNL, the team faced several physical setbacks, but at the same time, several players were given the opportunity to take on additional responsibility. As a result, both the experience within the group and the depth of the squad increased.

Belgium managed to retain their place in the VNL and continued building a team capable of playing in different ways. Vansnick considers this versatility to be one of Belgium’s most important weapons.

“It is something we have continuously worked on over the past few years. During the VNL, some players had to take responsibility earlier than expected or suddenly play many more minutes. That has made us stronger and deeper as a group. In several positions, we have players who can complement or replace one another. At a demanding European Championship, with five pool matches in six days, that could become an extremely important asset.”

The young players in the squad also contribute to that dynamic. For talents such as Tea Radovic, Pauline Luyten, Flore Maes and Liese Verhelst, this campaign represents another important step in their development. At the same time, they can rely on the experience of players who have already competed at several major international tournaments.

“Our focus is now on the players who are here and on what this group can achieve together,” Vansnick emphasises. “We have quality, experience and a variety of profiles. Over the past few weeks, we have once again seen that this combination can work well. That is why we can say that we are ready to begin this European Championship.”

Experience on the big stage

A European Championship is familiar territory for a large part of the Belgian squad. Vansnick himself is preparing for his ninth EuroVolley. That experience should help the team remain composed from the opening match onwards and deal with the specific pressure of a major tournament.

“We know what is coming,” says the head coach. “A European Championship brings additional attention, pressure and expectations, but many of our players have already experienced that. We also want to build on the lessons learned at previous major tournaments. It is important not only to perform, but also to fully experience this championship and once again represent Belgium in a positive way.”

“A major tournament is an opportunity to bring people along on our journey,” Vansnick continues. “We want to create excitement in Belgium. Hopefully, our performances can generate renewed media attention and enthusiasm around the team.”

A highly competitive European Championship

The European Championship is an important benchmark for every participating country. Continental championships play a role in the international ranking and therefore also in the long road towards future World Championships and Olympic Games. Moreover, the European champions will qualify directly for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. As a result, nearly every country will compete with its strongest available squad.

According to Vansnick, Italy and Türkiye stand out as the leading favourites, but the level behind them is also extremely high.

“For Europe’s top nations, this is the most important tournament of the summer. Italy and Türkiye are the clear favourites for gold in my opinion, but many other countries also have strong ambitions. For teams near the top of the world ranking, every match can be important. That makes this an extremely strong and competitive European Championship.”

Belgium’s opponents are also competing for valuable ranking points. Spain, Portugal, Romania and Azerbaijan view matches against higher-ranked countries as opportunities to collect important points for the world ranking.

“We do not want to focus on that constantly, but we must understand the level of motivation our opponents will have when they step up to serve. For several countries, this European Championship is an important opportunity to position themselves for the next World Championship. They will not give Belgium anything for free.”

Spain first, followed by Portugal

The Yellow Tigers will open their European Championship against Spain, a match in which Belgium will need to be fully focused from the start. The Spanish team enjoyed a strong preparation period, including two victories over Hungary.

“Spain look ready for the European Championship,” Vansnick analyses. “They are playing better than they did during the European League and have several dangerous players. If their reception remains stable, they can make full use of their attacking qualities. We therefore know what to expect.”

During the preparation period, the Belgian players were closely involved in analysing their first opponents.

“We want the players to actively think about the opposition themselves,” Vansnick explains. “They worked in groups on Spain and Portugal and presented those teams themselves. That increases their involvement and ensures that the knowledge is widely shared throughout the group.”

The match against Portugal follows immediately after Spain. On paper, Portugal are the lowest-ranked team in the pool, but Vansnick warns against underestimating them.

“Portugal have a team that has been together for a long time and has nothing to lose. That makes them dangerous. We already faced a largely similar team at a previous European Championship. In principle, our physical qualities should allow us to make the difference, but that will only happen if we play with concentration and discipline from the opening point.”

Romania aiming for another World Championship opportunity

After their opening two matches, the Yellow Tigers will have a rest day. They will then begin a particularly demanding period featuring three consecutive pool matches against Romania, Azerbaijan and the Netherlands.

The match against Romania marks the beginning of that intense three-day stretch. Romania enjoyed a strong preparation period and showed against Italy and Czechia, among others, that they are capable of challenging major nations.

“Romania missed the previous World Championship and have made it clear that they want to qualify for the next edition,” Vansnick says. “They see matches against Belgium and the Netherlands as opportunities to collect a lot of ranking points. They have had a good campaign and are stronger than they were during our previous encounters. They are ready as well.”

Playing three matches on consecutive days will place significant tactical and physical demands on the squad. Belgium’s VNL experience should help them manage that workload.

“During the VNL, we learned what it means to play several matches within a short period. You need to manage recovery, energy and the availability of the entire squad effectively. That is precisely why our versatility could become so important during this European Championship.”

Hosts Azerbaijan could create a special atmosphere

Azerbaijan also promise to be difficult opponents. The hosts can count on the support of their home crowd and have plenty of experience within their squad. They also play a style of volleyball that the Yellow Tigers encounter less frequently.

“Azerbaijan have a rich volleyball history,” Vansnick explains. “Their national league was extremely strong in the past and attracted many Russian and South American players. The level has declined somewhat in recent years, but the national team still possesses a lot of experience and power.”

According to the head coach, Azerbaijan play a more traditional and relatively slow, but extremely powerful, form of volleyball.

“They use certain patterns that we see less frequently nowadays. That can be surprising and requires adaptability. They are also strongly promoting the tournament. As the host nation, they could create an incredible atmosphere, which makes them even more dangerous.”

The Netherlands to close the pool stage

The Yellow Tigers will conclude the pool stage with a derby against the Netherlands. The Dutch impressed during the VNL and qualified for the Final Eight, finishing ahead of Germany and Poland, among others.

“This summer, the Netherlands have once again found a great deal of versatility within their team,” Vansnick says. “In Britt Bongaerts and Sarah van Aalen, they have two setters who play at a very high level for their clubs. They also have several attacking options, with Elles Dambrink playing a leading role. In addition, another generation of young talents is ready to step up.”

Based on their performances during the VNL, Vansnick considers the Netherlands one of the medal outsiders.

“They are firmly established in the world’s top ten and showed during the VNL what they are capable of. For me, they are dark horses at this European Championship. We obviously hope that our final pool match against them will be a battle for a strong position in the standings. But before we can think about that, we first need to play four other matches.”

One match at a time

Belgium’s first objective is clear: progress from the pool stage and secure a place in the round of 16. The Yellow Tigers want to achieve that with the highest possible ranking to give themselves a favourable position for the knockout stage.

For now, however, Vansnick does not want to look beyond the opening match against Spain. In the round of 16, Belgium’s pool will cross over with a strong group consisting of Türkiye, Poland, Germany, Slovenia, Hungary and Latvia. A favourable position in the pool stage could therefore make a significant difference.

“Our ambition is to qualify for the round of 16, and we want to do so from the highest possible position,” Vansnick concludes. “That could give us an opportunity to aim for more in the knockout stage. But there is no point in already calculating or dreaming about potential opponents. We must remain focused on the process and approach every match individually.”

“We have the positive scenario in mind. We know that the road will be difficult, but we believe that we can achieve something special at this European Championship. The tournament we have worked towards for one hundred days starts now.”

Belgium squad:

Setters:
Lara Nagels
Elise van Sas

Opposites:
Pauline Martin
Liese Verhelst

Outside hitters:
Britt Herbots
Tea Radovic
Nel Demeyer
Pauline Luyten
Flore Maes

Middle blockers:
Nathalie Lemmens
Britt Fransen
Anna Koulberg

Liberos:
Britt Rampelberg
Noor Debouck