Finland claim historic bronze after 3:0 win over Slovenia
Finland defeated Slovenia 3:0 (25:23, 25:20, 29:27) to claim their first European Championship medal.
Finland completed a fairytale run at the Men's European Championship in Milan by defeating Slovenia 3:0 (25:23, 25:20, 29:27) to win the bronze medal on 26 September 2026.
The victory marks Finland's first-ever medal at the European Championship and the nation's first major tournament honour, a milestone for the team widely known as Suomi.
Match and context
Coached by Olli Kunnari, Finland produced a composed performance in the bronze-medal match, closing out all three sets and denying pre-tournament favourites Slovenia a place on the podium.
The 3:0 scoreline (25:23, 25:20, 29:27) underlines how tightly contested the final set was, but Finland held their nerve to secure the historic result.
The tournament in Milan also featured North Macedonia, which took part in the group played in Sofia. The big final between Poland and France was scheduled to be played later the same evening, 26 September 2026.
Photo: press material from the event
