Official confirmation came in today: Marko Sedlacek, the 27-year-old Croatian outside hitter, is transitioning from Italy to Polish titan, Jastrzębski Węgiel. As previously anticipated, the deal has been sealed with Sedlacek marking his one-year contract that also bears a potential extension for an additional season.
For Sedlacek, aligning with Jastrzębski Węgiel was an easy decision. He says, “It’s undoubtedly one of the world’s finest clubs. The organization and Polish volleyball fans, renowned as the world’s best, have received nothing but praise. Now, I have the chance to see and experience this fervor firsthand at the matches – a prospect I eagerly anticipate and wish to cherish.”
Marko is the inaugural Croatian to join Jastrzębski Węgiel. His volleyball journey began in his birthplace, Zagreb, with club HAOK Mladost. After only a year with the senior team, he switched to French Rennes Volley, soon after landing in Italy with Piacenza. A return to his homeland led to three fruitful years with Mladost, winning two Croatian championships, two domestic cups, and two super cups.
Marko’s next adventure took him back to Italy, where he joined Vero Volley Monza. His stint in the Lombardy region club lasted less than two seasons. An opportunity with Chinese Fudan University Shanghai presented itself in December 2020, but the pandemic derailed his plans to play there. His journey then took him to Galatasaray Istanbul, crossing the Bosphorus back to Europe.
Marko returned to Italian SuperLega for a third time after a year in Turkey, this time with Top Volley Cisterna. The third spell in the Italian league proved to be the most rewarding. In the previous season, even though his team didn’t make it to the playoffs, Sedlacek’s performance was impressive, with a total of 295 points in 22 matches, averaging 13.4 per match.