European men's volleyball championship 2015

The 2015 European Men's Volleyball Championship took place from October 9th to 18th in Bulgaria and Italy . The tournament was played with 16 teams. The venues were Sofia , Varna , Turin and Busto Arsizio . France won the final against Slovenia 3-0, becoming European champions for the first time. For the Slovenes it was the first ever EM medal. In the game for third place, the teams of the two hosts faced each other. Italy prevailed 3-1 against Bulgaria . Germany were eliminated in the quarter-finals against the Bulgarians. The defending champion Russia and the reigning world champion Poland were also eliminated in the quarter-finals.

mode

The tournament began with a preliminary round in four groups (A – D) with four teams each. There were three points for a 3-0 or 3-1 win, two points for a 3-2 win, one point for a 3-2 defeat and a 1-3 or 0-3 defeat no point. In the event of a tie, the number of games won and then the rate quotient decided. If there was equality here too, the ball point quotient (BPQ) decided and finally the direct comparison of the teams concerned. The top three teams in each group reached the second round. There, third in the group met runners-up before the respective winners met a group first. The four successful teams in the second round reached the semi-finals. The losers in the semi-finals played for third place, the winners determined the new European champion in the final.

game schedule

First round

Group A in Sofia
space	team	BPQ	sentences	Points
1.	Bulgaria	1.070	9: 4	7th
2.	Netherlands	1.039	8: 6	6th
3.	Germany	1.071	5: 6	4th
4th	Czech Republic	0.826	3: 9	1

9th October	Czech Republic	Netherlands	1: 3
	Bulgaria	Germany	3-0
October 10th	Netherlands	Germany	3: 2
	Czech Republic	Bulgaria	2: 3
October 11th	Germany	Czech Republic	3-0
	Netherlands	Bulgaria	2: 3

Group B in Turin
space	team	BPQ	sentences	Points
1.	France	1.190	9: 3	8th
2.	Italy	1,092	8: 3	7th
3.	Estonia	0.959	3: 6	3
4th	Croatia	0.748	0: 9	0

9th October	Croatia	France	0: 3
	Italy	Estonia	3-0
October 10th	France	Estonia	3: 1
	Croatia	Italy	0: 3
October 11th	Estonia	Croatia	3-0
	France	Italy	3: 2

Group C in Varna
space	team	BPQ	sentences	Points
1.	Poland	1,300	9: 1	9
2.	Belgium	1,000	6: 4	6th
3.	Slovenia	1.056	5: 6	3
4th	Belarus	0.671	0: 9	0

9th October	Slovenia	Belarus	3-0
	Poland	Belgium	3-0
October 10th	Belarus	Belgium	0: 3
	Slovenia	Poland	1: 3
October 11th	Belgium	Slovenia	3: 1
	Belarus	Poland	0: 3

Group D in Busto Arsizio
space	team	BPQ	sentences	Points
1.	Russia	1,316	9: 1	9
2.	Serbia	1.061	7: 5	5
3.	Finland	0.885	3: 6	3
4th	Slovakia	0.813	2: 9	1

9th October	Slovakia	Serbia	2: 3
	Russia	Finland	3-0
October 10th	Serbia	Finland	3-0
	Slovakia	Russia	0: 3
October 11th	Finland	Slovakia	3-0
	Serbia	Russia	1: 3

Final round

Play-offs

Quarter finals

Semifinals

final

October 14 - Sofia

October 13 - Sofia

Bulgaria

3

Belgium

0

October 17 - Sofia

Germany

0

Germany

3

Bulgaria

2

October 14th - Busto Arsizio

October 13 - Busto Arsizio

France

3

France

3

Serbia

3

October 18 - Sofia

Serbia

1

Estonia

2

France

3

October 14 - Sofia

October 13 - Sofia

Slovenia

0

Poland

2

Netherlands

0

October 17 - Sofia

Slovenia

3

Slovenia

3

Slovenia

3

3rd place match

October 14th - Busto Arsizio

October 13 - Busto Arsizio

Italy

1

October 18 - Sofia

Russia

0

Italy

3

Bulgaria

1

Italy

3

Finland

0

Italy

3

Final score

rank	team	Points	sentences
Final rounds
1	France
2	Slovenia
3	Italy
4th	Bulgaria
Out in the quarterfinals
5	Poland	10	11: 04
6th	Russia	9	09: 04
7th	Serbia	7th	11:10
8th	Germany	7th	08: 09
Out in the playoffs
9	Netherlands	6th	08: 09
10	Belgium	6th	06: 07
11	Estonia	4th	05: 09
12	Finland	3	03: 09
Out in the group stage
13	Czech Republic	1	03: 09
14th	Slovakia	1	02: 09
15th	Croatia	0	00: 09
16	Belarus	0	00: 09

Venues

The European championship was held in four sports facilities, two from each host country. The semi-finals and the final were played in the Arena Armeec Sofia in the Bulgarian capital Sofia . In addition to Sofia, the playoff games and the quarter-finals also took place in the PalaYamamay in Busto Arsizio . The other venues were the congress hall in the Palace of Culture and Sport in Varna and the Torino Palavela in Turin .

• 

  Arena Armeec, Sofia

• 

  Torino Palavela, Turin

• 

  Palace of Culture and Sports, Varna

• 

  PalaYamamay, Busto Arsizio

media

The Internet broadcaster Laola1.tv showed all the European Championship matches in free live streams and on demand . When the German team played, the station also showed the EM magazine “Doppelblock”, in which the former national player Ralph Bergmann appeared as an expert.

qualification

In addition to the two hosts Bulgaria and Italy , the best teams from the 2013 European Championship were directly qualified for the 2015 finals. These were Russia , Serbia , France , Germany and Belgium .

The remaining participants were determined in three qualifying rounds. In the first round in May 2014, twelve teams competed against each other in three groups of four. The winners and the two best runners-up in the group reached the second round, which took place in May and June 2014. There the 24 participants were divided into six groups. In each group there were two tournaments in which the teams competed against each other. The six group winners were qualified for the 2015 European Championship. The group runners-up determined the last EM participants in the third round.

First round

Group A
space	team	BPQ	sentences	Points
1.	Moldova	1,212	9: 2	8th
2.	Israel	1.191	6: 3	6th
3.	Luxembourg	0.843	3: 6	3
4th	Lithuania	0.825	2: 9	1

Tournament in Luxembourg
May 9	Moldova	Israel	3-0
	Luxembourg	Lithuania	3-0
10th of May	Israel	Lithuania	3-0
	Moldova	Luxembourg	3-0
May 11th	Lithuania	Moldova	2: 3
	Israel	Luxembourg	3-0

Group B
space	team	BPQ	sentences	Points
1.	Norway	1.169	9: 4	8th
2.	Hungary	1.165	8: 3	7th
3.	Switzerland	0.875	4: 8	2
4th	Bosnia and Herzegovina	0.844	3: 9	1

Tournament in Kecskemét
May 9	Bosnia and Herzegovina	Norway	1: 3
	Hungary	Switzerland	3-0
10th of May	Norway	Switzerland	3: 1
	Bosnia and Herzegovina	Hungary	0: 3
May 11th	Switzerland	Bosnia and Herzegovina	3: 2
	Norway	Hungary	3: 2

Group C
space	team	BPQ	sentences	Points
1.	North Macedonia	1.403	9: 1	9
2.	Sweden	1.269	7: 3	6th
3.	Azerbaijan	0.837	3: 6	3
4th	Georgia	0.591	0: 9	0

Tournament in Strumica
May 9	Georgia	Sweden	0: 3
	Macedonia	Azerbaijan	3-0
10th of May	Sweden	Azerbaijan	3-0
	Georgia	Macedonia	0: 3
May 11th	Azerbaijan	Georgia	3-0
	Sweden	Macedonia	1: 3

Second round

Group A
space	team	BPQ	sentences	Points
1.	Poland	1.247	17: 3	16
2.	Slovenia	1.054	16:11	11
3.	North Macedonia	0.889	8:15	5
4th	Latvia	0.858	5:16	4th

First tournament in Wroclaw
May 16	Macedonia	Slovenia	2: 3
	Poland	Latvia	3-0
17th of May	Slovenia	Latvia	3: 2
	Macedonia	Poland	0: 3
May 18	Latvia	Macedonia	3: 1
	Slovenia	Poland	1: 3
Second tournament in Ljubljana
23. May	Poland	Slovenia	2: 3
	Latvia	Macedonia	0: 3
May 24th	Slovenia	Macedonia	3: 2
	Poland	Latvia	3-0
25. May	Macedonia	Poland	0: 3
	Slovenia	Latvia	3-0

Group B
space	team	BPQ	sentences	Points
1.	Finland	1.190	18: 8	16
2.	Portugal	1.053	15: 7	13
3.	Moldova	0.969	10:13	7th
4th	Austria	0.791	3:18	0

First tournament in Vila do Conde
May 16	Finland	Moldova	3: 2
	Portugal	Austria	3-0
17th of May	Moldova	Portugal	0: 3
	Finland	Austria	3: 1
May 18	Portugal	Finland	2: 3
	Austria	Moldova	1: 3
Second tournament in Vantaa
23. May	Austria	Portugal	0: 3
	Finland	Moldova	3: 1
May 24th	Portugal	Moldova	3: 1
	Austria	Finland	1: 3
25. May	Moldova	Austria	3-0
	Portugal	Finland	1: 3

Group C
space	team	BPQ	sentences	Points
1.	Slovakia	1.166	15: 4	15th
2.	Estonia	1.040	12: 9	12
3.	Greece	1.022	10:10	9
4th	Hungary	0.826	4:18	0

First tournament in Poprad
23. May	Estonia	Greece	3-0
	Slovakia	Hungary	3-0
May 24th	Greece	Hungary	3: 1
	Estonia	Slovakia	0: 3
25. May	Hungary	Estonia	1: 3
	Greece	Slovakia	3-0
Second tournament in Piraeus
May 29th	Estonia	Slovakia	0: 3
	Greece	Hungary	3-0
30th May	Slovakia	Hungary	3: 1
	Estonia	Greece	3: 1
31. May	Hungary	Estonia	1: 3
	Slovakia	Greece	3-0

Group D
space	team	BPQ	sentences	Points
1.	Czech Republic	1.161	17: 5	16
2.	Spain	1.035	13:10	12
3.	Ukraine	1,000	12:13	8th
4th	Norway	0.834	4:18	0

First tournament in Jablonec nad Nisou
May 16	Spain	Ukraine	3: 1
	Czech Republic	Norway	3-0
17th of May	Ukraine	Norway	3: 1
	Spain	Czech Republic	0: 3
May 18	Norway	Spain	1: 3
	Ukraine	Czech Republic	1: 3
Second tournament in Pinto
May 22	Ukraine	Czech Republic	3: 2
	Spain	Norway	3: 1
23. May	Czech Republic	Norway	3-0
	Ukraine	Spain	1: 3
May 24th	Norway	Ukraine	1: 3
	Czech Republic	Spain	3: 1

Group E
space	team	BPQ	sentences	Points
1.	Croatia	1.030	14:10	12
2.	Netherlands	1.013	11:10	10
3.	Montenegro	0.970	13:15	7th
4th	Romania	0.995	11:14	7th

First tournament in Podgorica
May 16	Croatia	Netherlands	3-0
	Montenegro	Romania	2: 3
17th of May	Netherlands	Romania	3-0
	Croatia	Montenegro	3: 1
May 18	Romania	Croatia	1: 3
	Netherlands	Montenegro	2: 3
Second tournament in Zagreb
23. May	Romania	Croatia	2: 3
	Netherlands	Montenegro	3: 1
May 24th	Croatia	Montenegro	2: 3
	Romania	Netherlands	3-0
25. May	Montenegro	Romania	3: 2
	Croatia	Netherlands	0: 3

Group F.
space	team	BPQ	sentences	Points
1.	Belarus	1.151	17: 8	15th
2.	Sweden	0.985	14:11	10
3.	Turkey	0.993	12:13	9
4th	Denmark	0.878	6:17	2

First tournament in Slagelse
May 22	Turkey	Belarus	3: 2
	Denmark	Sweden	3: 2
23. May	Belarus	Sweden	3: 1
	Turkey	Denmark	3: 1
May 24th	Sweden	Turkey	3-0
	Belarus	Denmark	3: 1
Second tournament in Minsk
30th May	Denmark	Turkey	1: 3
	Belarus	Sweden	3: 2
31. May	Turkey	Sweden	2: 3
	Denmark	Belarus	0: 3
June 1st	Sweden	Denmark	3-0
	Turkey	Belarus	1: 3

Third round

May 24th / 31st May	Slovenia	Portugal	3: 0, 2: 3
May 24th / 31st May	Estonia	Sweden	3: 1, 3: 0
May 23/31. May	Spain	Netherlands	0: 3, 1: 3

Web links

• official website (multilingual)
• Information of the CEV (English)
• Information from the DVV
• Live streams and videos on Laola1.tv (German / English)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Livestream on LAOLA1.TV. (No longer available online.) DVV, formerly in the original ; accessed on October 7, 2015 .  ( Page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.