Latvia, led by the former coach of the Ukrainian national team, stunned the hosts at the start of the Euros

The Latvian men's national volleyball team secured an important victory at the start of the group stage of the 2026 European Championship. Led by former Ukrainian national team head coach Ugis Krastins, the team got off to a strong start in the tournament, defeating the host team, Romania.

A fierce battle ensued from the very first minutes of the match. In the first set, the Romanians held a slight lead, but in a grueling back-and-forth finish, the Latvians showed composure and snatched the victory, 26–24. The second set went to the hosts: the Romanian team tightened up their blocking, pulled ahead decisively, and evened the match at 25–18.

However, this success did not dampen the spirits of Ugis Krastins’s team. In the third set, the visitors seized the initiative midway through and closed it out with a score of 25–21. The fourth set kept fans on the edge of their seats until the very last point: the Romanian team closed the gap toward the end of the set, but the Latvians once again proved more accurate on the decisive points and sealed the match with an ace at 26–24.

Although Latvia was not considered a favorite to advance from the group stage, this victory significantly improves its chances in the race for a spot in the playoffs.

The top scorer for the winners was Kristers Landzans, who scored 18 points. Kristaps Šmits added 14 points for the Latvian team, Jānis Eduards Medenis scored 12 points, and Gustavs Freimanis contributed 10 points (including 5 blocks). For the Romanian national team, Alexandru Rățe scored 21 points.

2026 European Championship, Men. Group D. Cluj-Napoca (Romania)

Romania – Latvia – 1:3 (24:26, 25:18, 21:25, 24:26)