Polish volleyball star Jakub Kochanowski ruled out of European Championship

Jakub Kochanowski, the 29‑year‑old middle blocker of Poland's men’s volleyball team and Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie, announced on Instagram that a serious knee injury requires surgery. He said the rehabilitation attempts failed and that he will miss the upcoming European Championship in September, ending his national team season.

Coach Nikola Grbić confirmed that the injury prevents Kochanowski from being selected for the final squad, opting to give him time to recover before the most important tournament of the season. The decision comes as Poland, defending the European title, continues its campaign in the Nations League final round.

Kochanowski becomes the third key Polish middle blocker to sit out the season, joining Norbert Huber and Mateusz Bieniek, both of whom missed recent international action due to health issues.