Aleksandar Boricic dies at age 78

Aleksandar Boricic, the former president of the European Volleyball Confederation (CEV) and executive vice president of the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB), died on March 4, 2025, at the age of 78 following a brief illness. Born on May 26, 1948, in Belgrade, he had a distinguished career as a player, coach, and administrator. As a player, he made 103 appearances for the Yugoslavian national team and won a bronze medal at the 1975 European Championship. He served as president of the Yugoslavian Volleyball Federation from 1992 to 2003, as the first president of the Serbia and Montenegro federation from 2003 to 2006, and as the first president of the Serbian Federation from 2006 to 2016. Boricic held the presidency of the CEV from 2015 to 2024, where he notably oversaw the restructuring of the EuroVolley tournament to include 24 teams across four host nations. The CEV has announced that a minute of silence will be observed at all scheduled matches this week to honor his memory. While sources differ on the specific day of death, citing either March 4 or the preceding Wednesday, both confirm his passing after a short illness.