Perugia have gone on the attack. Sir Susa Scai Perugia president Gino Sirci used a club press conference on Thursday to launch #NoClubsNoVolley, a campaign against the FIVB’s draft international calendar. Under the draft, club seasons would start earlier and stop between December and January to make room for national-team competitions. Perugia call it the 2028-2032 calendar; the FIVB’s own consultation is titled ‘Volleyball Calendar 2029-2032’. “We have seen and consulted it, but we absolutely do not agree,” Sirci said. He warned of smaller crowds, lost sponsors and more injuries, and said the Italian federation and 25 other European clubs back Perugia’s position.
Sirci went further, according to ANSA: if the plan passes, he would “probably tell the players not to go” to their national teams during that two-month window. He expects a decision around mid-November. Captain Simone Giannelli said: “We are not here to point the finger at anyone.” He called for everyone to work together to make volleyball even better. Kamil Semeniuk and Oleh Plotnytskyi warned about the physical and mental toll on players, while head coach Angelo Lorenzetti added: “It will be very difficult to keep the people we work with healthy.” The campaign is already spreading: Bulgarian champions Levski Sofia and vice-champions Neftochimic Burgas both confirmed on Thursday that they have joined it.
The FIVB says its consultation is still ongoing. Its last published update (Aug 17) said clubs had been heard and that the FIVB Athletes’ Commission, Coaches Commission and Volleyball Council would be consulted next.
