Portugal arrive in Sofia with a new generation ready to step up

Portugal arrived in Sofia with a team that looks familiar in many ways, yet is also undergoing an important transition. Just one day before the start of EuroVolley 2026, head coach João José has made it clear that the Portuguese are not simply defending what they built in recent years: they are also laying the foundations for the next generation.

Portugal will compete in Pool B alongside hosts Bulgaria, Poland, Ukraine, North Macedonia and Israel.
It will be the country’s fourth consecutive appearance at the European Championship, but José believes the team taking the court in Sofia is significantly different from the side that reached the round of 16 at EuroVolley 2023.
One of the clearest signs of that evolution can be found in the setter position.
Portugal will be without Miguel Tavares, who was the team’s starting setter at the 2025 World Championship and also started the round-of-16 clash against Bulgaria. That match in the Philippines ended with a convincing 3-0 victory for Bulgaria (25:19, 25:23, 25:13), sending the hosts through to the quarter-finals.

Tavares is currently preparing for the new club season in Poland, leaving José with the task of finding a new solution in one of the most influential positions on the court.
Portugal have spent the period since EuroVolley 2023 gradually changing the balance between experience and youth.

“I think we are at a different stage compared to 2023. Back then, we had a more established core and greater continuity. Over the past few years, we have deliberately included younger players to prepare them for bigger roles,” José explained in an interview with the CEV.

The Portuguese coach insists, however, that this should not be interpreted as a break with the past. The objective is not to replace one generation with another overnight, but to allow younger players to grow alongside the experienced figures who have shaped the national team in recent years.

“For us, it’s not just about changing players. It’s about preparing the next generation while maintaining the culture, values and competitive standards that define this national team.”

The European League played an important role in that process during the summer. Portugal used different combinations not only to manage the physical condition of the players and reduce the risk of injuries, but also to give younger members of the squad valuable international experience.
Players such as Diogo Fevereiro are gradually being introduced alongside established figures like Alexandre Ferreira, creating a squad in which José hopes to have more reliable alternatives when the pressure increases.

“Our experienced players continue to have a fundamental role. Our goal was to increase the depth of the squad, not to change its foundations,” the coach said.

That depth could prove particularly important in Sofia, where the demanding schedule of the European Championship will test every team’s ability to rotate and maintain its level throughout the tournament.

José believes the younger Portuguese players already possess many of the technical qualities required at international level. The greater challenge, he says, is learning how to perform when the conditions become difficult: under pressure, while fatigued, after long journeys and when physical strain begins to affect decision-making.

That is why Portugal’s preparation has been designed not simply around immediate results, but also around development. At certain moments, the coaching staff deliberately slowed the process down, returning to previously established elements rather than trying to accelerate the team’s progress at all costs.
The Portuguese may no longer have the same clearly established core that carried them in 2023, but José believes they now possess something equally valuable: a broader range of competitive options and greater flexibility during matches.

“I wouldn’t describe this squad simply as more experimental. I would describe it as a group with a wider range of competitive options,” he said.

The ambition, therefore, has not changed. Portugal still expect to compete, fight for every match and challenge the teams around them, but they are doing so while simultaneously preparing the players who will eventually become the backbone of the national team.

“Our ambition remains absolutely the same – we want to be competitive in every match, but now we are doing it with a group that represents both the present and the future.”

Portugal reached the round of 16 at EuroVolley 2023 before being eliminated by Ukraine.
Three years later, the two teams find themselves in the same pool once again, this time alongside Bulgaria, Poland, North Macedonia and Israel.
With the top four teams advancing to the knockout stage, the battle in Sofia promises to be particularly demanding – and for Portugal, it will offer the first major test of a generation gradually learning to take centre stage.

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