Roko Sikirić, a candidate for president of the European Volleyball Confederation (CEV), has highlighted issues with the current financial model of the organization via his social media profile. Sikirić emphasized the need for improvements in marketing rights and presented his vision for addressing these challenges.
In his post, Sikirić stressed the importance of transparency, democracy, and ethical values to attract current and future partners. He proposed introducing the CEV Good Governance Principles and updating the CEV Regulatory Framework as initial steps in his potential presidency.
The CEV oversees more than 20 competitions in indoor, beach, and snow volleyball, a broad scope that often confuses fans and potential sponsors. Sikirić suggested a streamlined competition format and calendar to maximize commercial potential and enhance fan engagement. He pointed out that overlapping schedules with global competitions, such as the FIVB’s Volleyball Nations League, burden National Federations with significant costs, making participation challenging for some.
Sikirić proposed restructuring competitions and the calendar to reduce financial strain on National Federations, increase visibility, and provide necessary rest periods for players. He believes these changes will make the sport more attractive to fans, sponsors, and broadcasters.
The 2022 audited CEV accounts reported an income of €19.2 million, with marketing rights contributing a mere €440,000. Sikirić criticized this financial model as unsustainable and inadequate for supporting the growth of national federations and clubs. He plans to share further details on developing a sustainable financial model for CEV in upcoming posts.
Sikirić’s plan aims to establish a more robust financial foundation, fostering growth and development at all levels of European volleyball.
