In brief

• The FIVB is consulting on a 2029–2032 men's calendar that would move championships to winter and reserve summer for the Nations League.
• Polish federation president Sebastian Świderski backs the plan and says opposition may stem from misreading it.
• Gino Sirci, owner of Perugia, leads Italian opposition and says around 30 clubs stand with them; no final decision has been announced.

The proposal and who backs it

The International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) is running consultations on a new men's calendar for 2029 to 2032, designed to lead into the Brisbane Olympics. Summer would be reserved for the Nations League, while championships would move to winter, with national-team windows in December and January (Sebastian Świderski odpowiada na protesty Włochów ws. kalendarza FIVB - Sport w INTERIA.PL – sport.interia.pl). The plan would end the fixed split between a club season from October to May and a national-team block (Wielkie zmiany w siatkówce, Włosi protestują. Świderski odpowiada jasno – SportoweFakty) (Reakcja na słowa Świderskiego. Włosi odpowiadają: "Jest z nami 30 klubów" – Interia Sport).

Sebastian Świderski, president of the Polish Volleyball Federation, supports the project. He argues that clubs would gain more scheduling options and that the months-long break for players outside national teams would be shortened. In talks with Interia Sport, he also argued that opposition may stem from misreading the plan, noting that the current calendar is limited to 29 or 30 weeks, while the new one would span 35.

Italian resistance

Gino Sirci, owner and president of Sir Susa Scai Perugia, has openly opposed the changes. He called on the federation to stop the new calendar at a press conference last week. Sirci disputes the argument about longer league time and says the plan would affect club competition more than presented.

The Italian clubs say they have support beyond Perugia.

What happens next

Consultations are still under way, and no final decision has been announced. The outcome will determine whether championship timing moves to winter and how much club time is recovered.