Five Italians in Europe this Wednesday
On Wednesday, Trentino, Piacenza, and Macerata will make their debut in the Champions League, while Cuneo and Perugia will respectively be involved in the CEV and Challenge Cup.
CEV Indesit Champions League
The holders, Trento, are in Pool A. It will begin its campaign in Athens against Olympiacos. Macerata left Sunday’s league defeat behind them and are ready for their home debut against the Austrian team of Innsbruck, in Pool C. The Italian Champions, Piacenza, travels to Germany where they will meet Friedrichshafen. The games can be seen in live streaming on www.laola1.tv.
FORMULA
24 teams in the starting blocks, divided into 6 groups of 4. The first two of each group go through to the next round. This is when the Final Four host is decided. Since the latter is automatically qualified, if it was amongst the top two of its pool, then the third will go through. The four best thirds will play in the CEV Cup challenge round. Then comes the playoffs 12 and playoffs 6, out of which the name of the three semi finalists will come up.
POOL A
Tuesday 1 December at 6pm
Jihostroj Ceske Budejovice (CZE) – Dinamo Moscow (RUS)
(Kozlovskyy-Dikmentepe)
Wednesday 2 December at 7.30pm (6.30 italian time)
Olympiacos Piraeus (GRE) – Trentino BetClic (ITA) – Differed on Sportitalia 2 fromm 10.30pm (channel 226 of sky)
(Dudek-Sokullu)
POOL B
Wednesday 2 December at 7pm
Zenit Kazan (RUS) – CSKA Sofia (BUL)
(Ermihan-Szmydynski)
Wednesday 2 December at 8pm
Tours VB (FRA) – Unicaja Almeria (ESP)
(Bartolini-Menner)
POOL C
Wednesday 2 December at 8.30pm
Lube Banca Marche Macerata (ITA) – Hypo Tirol Innsbruck (AUT) – Diretta Live on Sportitalia
(Georgiev-Dvorak)
Wednesday 2 December at 8.30pm
Noliko Maaseik (BEL) – Budvanska Rivijera Budva (MNE)
(Huhtaniska-Gaupp)
POOL D
Wednesday 2 December at 6pm
Radnicki Kragujevac (SRB) – Knack Randstad Roeselare (BEL)
(Ivanov-Sobrero)
Wednesday 2 December at 8.30pm
Cai Teruel (ESP) – Pge Skra Belchatow (POL)
(Saltalippi-Karampetsos)
POOL E
Wednesday 2 December at 6.30pm
Jastrzebski Wegiel S.A. (POL) – Panathinaikos Athens (GRE)
(Zaharescu-Cuk))
Wednesday 2 December at 8pm
VfB Friedrichshafen (GER) – CoprAtlantide Piacenza (ITA) – Differed from 10.30pm Sportitalia
(Partiainen-Rocha)
POOL F
Wednesday 2 December at 5pm
Istanbul B. Sehir Belediyesi ( TUR)- Paris Volley (FRA)
(Hudik-Alksnis))
Wednesday 2 December at 8.30pm
Asseco Resovia Rzeszow (POL) – ACH Volley Bled (SLO)
(Melnyk-Lekkas)
CEV Cup
Cuneo will take part in the Cev Cup for the second year running. Third in the previous edition, it will make its debut away against the Swiss team of Amriswil. The return leg is scheduled on the 9th of December. The next phase are the eighth of final. The winner will meet Tallinn from Estonia.
FORMULA. 32 teams take part in the 16th of finals. Then follow the eighth, quarters, challenge round, semi finals and final. The winners of the 16th of final will go to the next round while the losers will play the 16th of the Challenge Cup. The four winners of the quarter finals will meet the 4 best third of the Champions League.
Wednesday 2 December at 7pm
Volley Amriswil (SUI) – Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo (ITA)
(Myredal-Kellenberger)
GM Capital Challenge Cup
The team defending the Italian colours will be Perugia, who will make its debut in the second round against the Byelorussians from Metallurg Zhlobin.
FORMULA. The Challenge Cup is composed of First and second round, 16th, 8th, quarter-finals, semi finals and final. The mix with the Cev Cup occurs in the 16th of finals, when the 16 winners meet the 16 losers of the Cev Cup.
Wednesday 2 December at 6pm
Metallurg Zhlobin (BLR) – RPA-LuigiBacchi.it Perugia (ITA)
(Murulo – Ryabtsov)
Igor Omrcen November MVP
Igor Omrcen was named MVP of November. Macerata’s outside hitter obtained the coveted prize thanks to two nominations gathered in the games against Latina and Taranto. The big Croatian, scored 28 and 24 points respectively. He will receive his award in his team’s next home game, on Sunday 6 December against Verona.
BCC-NEP Castellana Grotte – Nava Gioia del Colle forwarded
A2 round 13
The Castellana Grotte versus Gioia del Colle game of Round 13, initially scheduled on Sunday 13 December has been forwarded to Saturday 12 at 5.30pm. It will be differed on Snai Sat from 7.30pm.
