Why Europe is the Hub of Pro Volleyball
By
Dan Holmes
Contributor Updated: 06 March 2024
Dan Holmes Contributor
Dan Holmes, a content creator and sports betting enthusiast, brings over a decade of experience to Betting.US. His extensive writing background spans from the internet to prestigious roles at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Dan’s articles, featured on numerous websites, cover various sports, from bowling to disc golf.
Europe pro volleyball
Professional volleyball leagues in Europe attract many of the premier players in the world. The level of play at the net and on the court in those leagues is unmatched among professional volleyballers.
In this article, we examine why the top volleyball players choose to show off their skills in European professional leagues. You’ll learn about the best leagues, some of the notable teams, and how much the players earn and how popular they are.
We’ll also outline the three primary reasons the best international pros want to play volleyball in Europe:
- Competition
- Media exposure
- Financial rewards
Professional Volleyball Leagues In Europe
Pro volleyball in Europe plays a large role in the history of the sport. Even though volleyball was invented and developed in the United States, the sport has blossomed on the European continent since it was introduced by American soldiers during World War I.
From its genesis, volleyball has enjoyed popularity among both males and females. In some parts of the world, women’s volleyball has a larger following than the men’s game. In the U.S., women’s volleyball is often the only version of the sport available at the high school level. In college, men’s and women’s teams enjoy notoriety throughout the world.
The proclivity of women being taught the game at a young age stunted the potential for pro leagues in North America. But, in Europe the game of volleyball was often played by adolescents of both sexes. That may be why professional volleyball has become a more popular sport in Europe than where the game was invented. In addition, many sports fans in the U.S. are occupied with their loyalty to older sports like baseball and football.
The European Volleyball Confederation or Confédération Européenne de Volleyball (CEV) governs all organized professional volleyball efforts in that region of the world. The CEV oversees traditional indoor volleyball, beach volleyball, as well as snow volleyball, an emerging sport that enjoys popularity in Scandinavian nations. The CEV has its headquarters in Luxembourg.
Currently the longest-running pro league in Europe for men’s volleyball is the Men’s European Volleyball League, which was established in 2004. That circuit is the oldest operational league in pro volleyball history.
Top European Professional Volleyball Leagues
With so many countries and cultural regions of cooperation in Europe, it’s natural that there exist a multitude of professional volleyball circuits. Those listed below are the most prestigious.
Pro Volleyball Europe
Italy
Superlega has the premier teams in the world: Lube Civitanova, Trentino Volley, Perugia, and Modena. Four of the last five years, an Italian club was the winner of the European Champions League. Which means, Italian pro volleyball is better than anywhere else on the continent.
Perhaps more money is wagered on Superlega than any other professional European volleyball league. The matches are closely followed, even by casual fans in the southern Mediterranean nation.
This league consists of a 14-team men’s circuit, and a 12-team women’s circuit. Both operate as a round-robin format with playoffs and a championship annually. Matches are televised and streamed live in Italy as well as throughout the nations in Europe that love volleyball. In many ways Superlega is like the Premier League in European football: the most famous and most followed league for its sport in Europe.
The world’s top-paid player, Wilfredo Leon, performs in this league. Leon represents the international flavor of this sport: he was born in Cuba, where he learned the game, he shares Polish heritage, and competes for the Poland Nationals in Olympic play, and he’s a superstar who earns more than $1.4 million as a member of the Sir Safety Perugia team in Italy.
Russia
The top level pro volleyball league in Russia is Volleyball Super League, which was started way back in 1992, making it one of the older pro volleyball leagues in the world. The best volleyball players in Russia compete in this circuit, and the Russian national team culls its’ players from this pool of talent.
Poland
Noted world superstars like Piotr Nowakowski play in PlusLiga, the best professional league in this nation of nearly 38 million people. Sixteen teams compete in the regular season for spots in the playoffs and the eventual league championship series, which is known as the Polish Championship or Mistrzostwo Polski. Often, the champion of this league is among the best volleyball teams in international competitions in Europe and across the globe.
Turkey
Efe League, or Efeler Ligi, is the highest rated pro circuit in Turkey, where men’s volleyball is the second-most popular team sport behind soccer. It dates back to 1970, and Turkish teams are typically among the best anywhere in international play.
Germany
If you want to find arguably the most intense rivalry in the sport, look no further than Volleyball Bundesliga in Germany. The two league heavyweights, VfB Friedrichshafen and Berlin Recycling Volleys battle each other for dominance in this pro volleyball league in Germany. Among European players, many Germans achieve the highest brand sponsorships.
Belgium
The distinction as the oldest pro volleyball league in Europe goes to Euro Millions Volley League, which features 10 teams in this small nation that’s crazy about the sport. The Greenyard Masseik team, also known as Noliko Maaseik, is sort of the New York Yankees of this pro circuit, winning 15 national championships in the last 32 years.
France
A large country that loves to cheer for their volleyball teams, France boasts as many as four pro leagues. Tours VB, Chaumont VB 52, and Paris Volley are among the best teams competing in LNV Ligue A Masculine.
Other leagues have remarkable players, such as the Brazil Super League, but when it comes to a concentration of top performing teams, no other region can compare to Europe.
European Volleyball: Top Competition
Great athletes want to test themselves against great athletes. The best wants to compete against the best, that’s the way it’s always been. This is the primary reason the top pro volleyballers gravitate to the European leagues.
Even within the 10-12 best European pro leagues, players often move up the ladder, transferring to leagues with better overall play as they mature athletically. As we see in North American sports, fans appreciate this: the fans want to see the best athletes, which is why the NBA is more popular than the WNBA.
Media Coverage of European Pro Volleyball is Unmatched
In many nations in Europe, pro volleyball players are covered like Hollywood stars. The media glare on these players is bright and persistent. The exposure is more than just for ego: players get opportunities to land brand deals endorsing products, or even careers in acting or commercials.
When you play in a Europe pro volleyball league, your matches will be covered. In most cases the matches are offered live via major subscriber-based channels on the continent. For Superlega and a few other European pro volleyball leagues, the matches are beamed internationally to audiences across the globe. Many sports betting sites have odds for handball and sportsbook apps stream live footage of pro volleyball in Europe.
Sports bettors in Europe who enjoy niche sports like volleyball consume content online about the sport, which fuels media coverage. That’s attractive to players who want to increase their visibility for a professional career in volleyball. Most top coaches for pro teams, club teams, and colleges were once pro players. Heightened exposure during a playing career can help former players secure coaching positions.
Pro Volleyball Players Make More in Europe
The pro ranks in Europe are classified as “senior” men’s and women’s leagues. That means the athletes are post-college and university level. The age of players spans from 19 years old to as old as in their 40s. The best players are often in their late 20s or early 30s. The highest paid pro volleyball players are in Europe.
Some top players in Superlega in Italy earn as much as $500,000 €. The league minimum is $70,000 €. Most players earn well into six-figures and long term contracts are not uncommon among Italian, Danish, French, German, and Turkish pros.
Why Few Pro Volleyballers Compete in Asia
China and other Asian nations have very popular professional volleyball leagues. But they only allow one foreign player per team. Which is why few western or non-Asian born players are in those leagues. The Asian leagues, especially Chinese pro leagues, pay high salaries. Some pro volleyballers in Asia make as much as a million dollars per season. But, that’s not a fair comparison, because only a handful of players get large salaries, and it’s typically restricted to athletes from those countries.
