Krastiņš previews France clash: 'A tediously technical team'

Latvia's men's volleyball team is continuing its campaign at the 2026 European Championship, having opened with a 3-1 win over tournament hosts Romania before suffering a 0-3 defeat to Germany. Their next Group D opponent is France, the two-time Olympic champion that reached the semifinals at the previous European Championship and has opened this tournament with two dominant 3-0 victories.

Head coach Uģis Krastiņš, assessing the upcoming opponent, noted that France played at roughly half of its potential against Switzerland but showed a markedly higher level against Turkey. According to the coach, the French team's main strength lies in exceptional ball control and technical preparation — its players apply pressure through varied serving, changing rhythm and depth, and placing serves precisely wherever needed.

Krastiņš singled out team leader Trevor Clevenot, describing his defensive performance as outstanding, capable of retrieving and handling balls that other players often cannot even reach. In the coach's view, France may not be the most physically powerful team at the championship, but it compensates through superior game understanding, technique and reading of play.

Germany currently leads Group D with a perfect record, France sits in second place, while Latvia — with one win and one loss — occupies fourth place among the six teams in the group. The Latvia-France match will begin at 20:00 and will be broadcast live on LTV7.