What was energising Graça, a member of the Brazilian national team during the 1960s, was the extraordinary spectacle of a sell-out crowd of 70,000 in Poland's national football stadium to witness the opening match of the 2014 Men's Volleyball World Championship between the hosts - who are currently sharing the same hosting duty with Slovenia for the 2022 edition that began on Friday (August 26) - and Serbia. 

This followed a lengthy, glitzy, pumped-up Opening Ceremony.

In putting on this match in an open-roofed - at least, for the first half of the night - stadium, the FIVB was nodding to the last time a big volleyball event had been held in such an arena, the 1983 meeting between Brazil and the the Soviet Union at the Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro which drew a crowd of 95,887 fans.

The bulk of the audience received the desired result as Poland won by three sets to nil, with the decisive point - a long serve from Serbia - setting off massive celebrations. It was party night in Warsaw.

"It's not enough to make a big show, to make a big match," Graça said on the eve of an event that was witnessed by Poland's President at the time, Bronislaw Komorowski, who gave an address at the Opening Ceremony.

"It's important to say to the world that we are doing something big, something in the new way of thinking.

"For sure, volleyball today is completely different. Our new mentality is to give to the public real entertainment.

"The match itself is an entertainment, but it's not enough. We must give some show to say to the public that we have a lot of respect for them.

"We learn very much that we must be changing all the time. Every year, everything changes. It's amazing.

"You cannot stay still, you have to move. But of one thing I am sure. This new concept that the FIVB is using now is a big change.

"I could say, I dare to say, that the FIVB is going to be another FIVB after this World Championship.

"We are expending a lot of energy and money to give to the Polish people this big show and also to the rest of the world. It's a mark. Before and after, I'm quite sure of that. It is a new era in volleyball."

The entertainment that evening was truly colourful, with sections of the crowd being encouraged to wave red and gold tinsel squares which complimented the overall themed colours of the quadrennial tournament.

The Stadion Narodowy, built in the city centre three years before, staged several matches in the UEFA Euro 2012 football tournament jointly hosted with Ukraine before becoming the permanent home of the national football team.

It is now diversifying energetically into all manner of sporting extravaganzas – but the atmosphere in the build-up to that match, the crowds, the feel of the stadium, was exactly the same as if it had been an international football match. It was big-time competition for fully committed fans; and it was impressive.

When he was voted into his present position initially in 2012 the Brazilian - now 79 and re-elected for an eight-year term in 2016 - did so on the keynote of "innovation".

"Tonight all eyes of the world are on Warsaw," Graça told the crowd.

"Tonight, you have already set a new World Championship record - 70,000 fans in the stadium. Unbelievable!"

All in all it was a spectator experience that Graça believed would prove a landmark for his sport. And eight years on he is still convinced it was.

"The 2014 Volleyball Men’s World Championship was indeed an important turning point for our sport," Graça told insidethegames this week. "Since then we have expanded the concept of sports presentation to all of our events, bringing fans closer to the action and truly making them part of the game.

"With the help of an MC, DJ, lights and music we aim to create an electrifying and memorable atmosphere at both volleyball and beach volleyball events.

"We have done a lot of work since my election on September 21 2012 to revolutionise our sport. I promised to work tirelessly with all our National Federations to bring opportunities and innovation, and to elevate our sport to the place that it deserves to be: one of the biggest sports in the world.

"We have come a long way, but we are still on this journey and certainly have much more to do."

Eight years on, Poland, along with Slovenia, has risen to the FIVB challenge again by hosting this year's Men's Volleyball World Championship, which was originally due to be held in Russia but was switched in the wake of the latter country's invasion of Ukraine.

The decision, announced on March 1, was precipitated by the Dutch Volleyball Federation which threatened to boycott the World Championship if Russia remained as host, and also followed Russia having already been stripped of the right to stage Volleyball Nations League matches.

"I would be lying if I said it has been easy to relocate a large-scale event like the World Championship with a timeline of only a few months," Graça said. "However, relocating the event from Russia was a necessary decision due to the war in Ukraine and its implications.

"We were very pleased with the number of countries from differing continents that expressed their interest in hosting the FIVB Volleyball Men's Championship. Not only is this a testament to the strength of our sport, it is a clear showcase of humanity’s compassion and solidarity.

"Of course, my deepest concerns and thoughts are with those affected by the ongoing war in Ukraine. The global volleyball family is united in our desire for peace and stands in solidarity with all the victims. We hope that a peaceful resolution is found as soon as possible."

Meanwhile the World Championship is underway, with the first of the preliminary rounds starting on Friday in the Polish city of Katowice and the Slovenian capital Ljubljana.

"I am really looking forward to the World Championship in Poland and Slovenia," Graça said. "Both countries have previously hosted world-class international volleyball events.

"Of course, Poland’s hosting credentials are impressive, and Slovenia is also very enthusiastic and committed to welcoming the players and fans to the country for one of the biggest celebrations of our sport."

Volleyball achieved a global reach in the 1970s when the arrival of African nations in World Championship competition meant that all five continents were involved.

Asked what advances he would like to see in the sport over the next 10 years, Graça responded: "I would like to see volleyball - both indoor and beach volleyball - develop further and become more relevant in more countries around the world. Alongside development, I would like to see our flagship annual events, the Volleyball Nations League and Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour, grow in accessibility, access and reach.

"During my mandate so far we have placed a big emphasis on providing the training and resources for our National Federations to become more professional and self-sustainable, so I would like to see this evolution continue in a positive direction.

"And over the next decade I’d want to see the range of countries participating in our events and winning medals to grow significantly.

"I am sure I also serve the future by showcasing volleyball as a good solution for peace. Our sport has no contact, no fights, but fair play - this is a good example for the future!

"Of course I will no longer be FIVB President in 10 years' time but I would like to see my legacy of innovation and opportunity continue. The FIVB and sport of volleyball will always be very close to my heart, so I would hope to see my successors building on the strong foundations we have laid and continuing down the path of development to ensure the ongoing success of our sport."

Graça’s own path has become significantly clearer this year when allegations of tax fraud and money laundering made against him and nine others in May 2021 by the Public Ministry of State of Rio de Janeiro, reported by insidethegames, were officially cancelled.

Graça, who led the Brazilian Volleyball Federation (CBV) from 1997 until his election as FIVB President in 2012, had first faced these accusations in 2014 and had made himself available for any required clarification.

This week an FIVB spokesperson told insidethegames: "The FIVB can confirm that there are no ongoing legal proceedings at any level in relation to this matter. Therefore both President Graça and the FIVB consider this matter closed."

It is understood that the Second Criminal Court of the Court of Justice of the State of Rio de Janeiro reached a verdict in Graça's favour earlier this year and, by unanimous vote, granted the cancellation of the criminal action against him.

The judge was said to have confirmed that the latest allegations were the same as previous allegations which were proven to be false, and from which Graça was exonerated by the Public Prosecutor of the State of Rio de Janeiro in 2019.

Reviewing his time as FIVB President, Graça highlights the development of the sport which he has overseen as one of his most significant contributions.

"When it comes to development there is a common key focus that I stand by for both indoor and beach volleyball - the importance of national teams.

"Whether in volleyball or beach volleyball, if the national team is strong and competitive, this will stimulate the development of the sport worldwide. Therefore at the FIVB we dedicate a lot of resources and efforts to the technical development of national teams across both sports.

"I believe that the money that comes from the sport must go back into the sport.

"Therefore last year we launched the revolutionary Volleyball Empowerment programme - a year-round revolutionary development programme where we support all 222 of our National Federations with developing and boosting their national teams and athletes, both in volleyball and beach volleyball, to achieve their goals and reach their full potential.

"I am very proud to confirm that under my leadership since 2012 the total development support provided via Continental Confederations, National Federations, Zonal Associations and Development Centres has increased by over 314 per cent.

"To be more precise, during the 10-year period from 1998 to 2007 the FIVB's development support totalled around $12 million (£10.2 million/€12 million).

"However, during my 10-year mandate as President almost $50 million (£42.5 million/€50.2 million) has been invested in development support.

"As of August 2022, since 2017 the FIVB has approved 558 projects from all five Continental Confederations, which totals an investment of more than CHF13 million (£11.5 million/$13.4 million/€13.5 million). Of these 558 projects, 224 were coach support projects, 292 volleyball equipment projects and 42 knowledge-transfer programmes."

This development has been financially underpinned by a deal announced in February 2021 with CVC Capital Partners, the private equity and credit firm which owned Formula 1 between 2006 and 2017.

CVC's latest investment in professional sport was estimated at the time to be worth $300 million (£255million/€301million).

CVC was attracted by the fact that volleyball ranked as the fourth most popular sport globally, with more than 800 million fans and high participation, across attractive markets, including Italy, Brazil, Japan, Poland, China and the United States.

Volleyball was the most-watched sport at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, with 2.6 billion viewer hours globally.

Volleyball World was established as the commercial entity for the sport around the world by the FIVB and CVC, holding responsibility for the operation of key volleyball and beach volleyball international events, including the World Championships, Olympic Qualifiers and the Volleyball Nations League.

The partnership is focused on event hosting, fan experience, media, data and digital opportunities, and sponsorship to grow commercial revenues for reinvestment.

The FIVB, together with its 222 National Federations, remains the sole, global volleyball regulatory body with responsibility for the sport and its development.

As the majority shareholder in Volleyball World, the FIVB oversees the new commercial vision for volleyball while being entrusted to ensure the interests of all stakeholders are represented.

"Our recent partnership with CVC Capital Partners and the creation of Volleyball World is not only a testament to what we have already achieved, it has opened the door for us to accelerate the development of the sport globally," Graça claimed.

"Of course we must continue to develop the sport and national teams around the world, and we need to further increase the competitive level of national teams to ensure more countries from all the continents are playing at the top level.

"Meanwhile Volleyball World will continue to expand the commercial potential of volleyball and beach volleyball as well as our flagship events."

The CVC deal was set up under the supervision of sports marketing expert Michael Payne, the former International Olympic Committee marketing director who acted as adviser to the FIVB from 2012 until 2021.

"The CVC deal was transformative and I think it's one of the best examples of what I would call the Graça legacy," Payne told insidethegames. "In that the genesis of the idea came from him and Fernando Lima, the FIVB secretary general and Fabio Azevedo, the FIVB general director.

"They were saying, 'We are doing all these innovations, we are creating new competitions and investing in the future of the sport. How we do make sure that commercial agenda isn't held hostage to some political agenda? How can we make sure the next President doesn't come in and changes everything because he's been promised votes from this continent or that continent?'

"What was needed was to separate the political from the professional management. There was a discussion I was engaged with to say, in some ways you should seriously consider separating the commercial agenda from the governance of the federation. And if you are going to take it to the next level, that's a different mindset from the traditional International Federation approach.

"And they said, 'That’s interesting. How do we do it?' I said you get a partner on board - let's go and talk to some of the investment banks and see what they have to say. We got a good reaction.

"One we went to see was CVC, which initially was not expected to engage, but was ready to brief the federation on how things might work. I knew CVC well because I had worked with them on the Formula 1 deal.

"During the course of the presentation CVC said, 'Hang on a second, this is a much bigger sport than we realised.' Because if you want they were looking at it from very much an Anglo-Saxon perspective and they hadn't understood how big it was in Japan, in Brazil, or Italy, or Poland.

"And at the end they said, 'Actually we'd be quite interested in looking at this.'

"In the end it was a contest between CVC and the incumbent, IMG. The benefit of it was not just the investment CVC brought in, but a whole new approach in building a new management team and having serious additional funding available to acquire and consolidate assets of the sport.

"Part of the beauty of volleyball is that it punches way above its weight in the Olympics but when you get down to the individual leagues they get some excellent TV ratings but they are not that strong yet on rights fees and sponsorship.

"And so they are ready-made to move in to start building the assets onto the volleyball digital platform and creating a central gateway for all volleyball, which I think every federation would love to do, but either the sport is too fragmented with different commercial interests, or you don't have the resources to do it.

"The CVC partnership solves all that with one signature."

And for that, Payne, who left his FIVB position as the CVC deal began to come together, believes Graça deserves much credit.

"He came to the FIVB with an impressive corporate background in Brazil across multiple sectors, including banking and an ad agency. He understood from the beginning that in order to dramatically grow the sport to fulfil its potential he needed a partner to do that."