European Volleyball Confederation approves return of Russian national teams

The European Volleyball Confederation (CEV) has decided to allow Russian men’s and women’s national teams to return to competitions under its umbrella. The decision was made by the CEV Board of Administration during a congress in Milan.

The ruling applies to both indoor and beach volleyball. While the decision allows for participation in principle, specific implementation conditions and organizational mechanisms are still being developed and must be submitted to the Board for final approval.

The next official tournament available to Russian national teams is the Volleyball Nations League. This follows a previous decision by the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) to allow Russian national teams to participate in international competitions and reinstated their world rankings. Stanislav Shevchenko, president of the Russian Volleyball Federation, welcomed the move and stated readiness to work constructively to ensure teams can return under the Russian flag and anthem as soon as possible. Russian clubs may potentially return to the European scene as early as the 2027/28 season.