In Poland, volleyball isn’t just a sport — it’s an obsession. Drop a set as the world’s top-ranked team, and it’s treated like a national crisis.
Yet, for head coach Nikola Grbić, that intensity is not a burden but a lifeline.
The real battle, he insists, lies far beyond the weight of expectations. For Poland, pressure is not a distraction but part of the daily diet.
“It’s a first for me, to be targeted. You should come to Poland to see the expectations.
“If you lose a set, everybody acts like it’s a crisis. These guys play under pressure all the time. They wake up with it, eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner,” Grbić told reporters after Poland’s four-set victory over the Netherlands in the preliminary phase of the 2025 FIVB Men’s World Championship at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
Poland’s coach emphasizes that maintaining sharp performance — even after sweeping Pool B — will be key to carrying the team past the burden of being the team to beat.
For Grbić, staying atop the world rankings isn’t enough; he’s leading Poland’s redemption campaign after the heartbreak of losing the 2022 title to Italy on home soil and Slovenia.
“I’m not preoccupied with expectations. My focus is on technique and performance. Playing as a favorite is far more difficult than as an outsider — there’s nothing to lose when you’re the underdog,” said the 52-year-old, who spent 19 years as a setter for Yugoslavia, Serbia, and Montenegro.
Grbić acknowledges that life as the favorite is a relentless grind, particularly as Poland prepares for a crucial Round of 16 clash against fan-favorite Canada.
Wins are expected; a single loss sparks uproar. Yet he is confident his players are resilient enough to withstand the pressure.
“Being a favorite is always harder because everyone expects you to win. When you do, there’s no satisfaction. But if you lose, the music stops. It will happen sooner or later, and when it does, I’m not going to cry my eyes out,” he said.
Team captain Bartosz Kurek shared Grbić’s perspective, underlining that Poland’s confidence in its own abilities is the driving force behind its quest for a fourth World Championship crown.
“Confidence is always in the same place. We know what we’re capable of; it’s just a matter of showing it on the court. I expect Canada will play smart and put pressure from the service line, similar to the Netherlands. It will be tough, but I hope we find a way through,” Kurek said.
“We only look at ourselves. This tournament has shown that surprises happen constantly. Us losing would be a shock, and we don’t want to join that club.”
#WATCH: Poland captain Bartosz Kurek urges his team to stay sharp vs Canada despite his ties with several players in the Polish league! 🇵🇱🏐
📹 @ErnestTuazon /Tiebreaker Times#MWCH2025 pic.twitter.com/oSNs8n9khO
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) September 17, 2025
