TIM Cup A1
The winners back in Trento
The Trento team got back home late last night from Montecatini terme, where they lifted the Italian cup aloft. Only once before had people been able to see the cup, in 2003 when it was organised in Trento, but it was Macerata that won it. This time, the club can finally boast its first cup in the trophy cabinet. The European and World champions will start this week in a very unusual way if we look at their schedule of recent months. Coach Stoytchev gave indeed two days of rest to his players before getting back in the gym on Wednesday. Then, in just three days, Trentino will play two home games, against Loreto in the league on Saturday (8.30pm) and then against Roeselare in the Champions League on Tuesday 9 (8.30pm) for the first leg of the playoffs 12.
Radostin Stoytchev
“It’s doesn’t happen very often to be able to give that much free time to the players. But I think it will really be useful to celebrate as it should be this great victory and to rest a little bit physically and mentally. It was fantastic to win the cup, everybody really wanted it, and it was even better considering the fact it is the first of the club and that it came at the end of a game of great level: technically, emotionally and in terms of competitive spirit. As I said before, Cuneo played an excellent game, but we have simply been more fortunate, I don’t think anyone could have complained if our opponent had won the trophy. Besides, I would like to thank the players that are always the main protagonists of the victories, the staff and the fans that are extraordinary in every occasion. It was great to celebrate with them on court. Last but not least, a big thank you to the chairman Diego Mosna without whom nothing of what we have achieved in the past couple of years would have been possible. I really hope the city will realise how much the chairman did for Trento. Now, the responsibility increase inevitably: to stay at the top, we will need to stay hungry for victories and with will to work. This means we will need to be aware that only a consistent hard work in training will help us to obtain more results of this kind. Our will to improve should never diminish”.
Cuneo loses the cup but the fans win
Cuneo will not have time to be disappointed as it will already play in Europe this Wednesday for the return leg of the Cev Cup 8th of final. It will play home in front of the fans that supported them during the two days of the Italian Cup Final Four in Montecatini. The ‘ Blues Brothers’ gathered no less than four hundred fans that travelled to Montecatini. Loads of singing and colours in the crowd and great will to push Giuliani’s boys. Cuneo proved that more and more people felt close to the team and wanted to follow them everywhere to help them win.
Coppe European cups
Cuneo in CEV Cup and Perugia in Challenge Cup
European cup action is back on Wednesday with Cuneo playing the return leg of the Cev cup quarter final. The Italians won in Lille in the first leg. The Challenge cup is back too, with Perugia heading to Bosnia to face Kakanj in the 8th of final first leg.
CEV Cup
Quarter final return leg
Wednesday 3 February at 7pm
Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo – Tourcoing Lille Métropole (FRA)
(Bernaola-Cambre)
GM Capital Challenge Cup
8th of final first leg
Wednesday 3 February at 6pm
OK Kakanj (BIH) – RPA-LuigiBacchi.it Perugia
(Brutman-Viktorini)
8th of final return leg
Wednesday 10 February at 8.30pm
RPA-LuigiBacchi.it Perugia – OK Kakanj (BIH)
(Todorov-Senyurt)
European cups
Champions League
The Champions League resumes too with Trento and Macerata. Both Italian teams will play the first leg of the playoffs 12. On Tuesday, Trento plays host to the Belgium team of Roeselare, while the following day Macerata travels to Bled, Slovenia. Return legs on Wednesday 17.
Indesit Champions League
Playoffs 12 first leg
Tuesday 9 February at 8.30pm
Trentino BetClic – Knack Randstad Roeselare (BEL)
Wednesday 10 February at 8.15
Ach Volley Bled (SLO) – Lube Banca Marche Macerata
A1 TIM Round 23
Fixtures and refs
Serie A1 TIM Round 23
Saturday 6 february at 4pm
Acqua Paradiso Monza – Prisma Taranto – Live on Rai Sport Più
Live streaming on http://www.raisport.rai.it/dl/raisport/multimedia/diretta.html
(Zucca-Boris)
Saturday 6 February at 8.30pm
Itas Diatec Trentino – Esse-ti Carilo Loreto
(Barbero-Pozzato)
RPA-LuigiBacchi.it Perugia – Aran Cucine Abruzzo Pineto
(Gini-Longo)
Sunday 7 February at 6pm
Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo – Trenkwalder Modena – Live on Rai Sport Più
Live streaming on http://www.raisport.rai.it/dl/raisport/multimedia/diretta.html
(La Micela-Cesare)
Lube Banca Marche Macerata – Yoga Forlì
(Pessolano-Perri)
CoprAtlantide Piacenza – Andreoli Latina
(Cinti-Tanasi)
Tonno Callipo Vibo Valentia – Marmi Lanza Verona
(Ippoliti-Sampaolo)
Sisley Treviso – RESTED
League table
Itas Diatec Trentino 53, Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo 48, CoprAtlantide Piacenza 45, Sisley Treviso 43, Trenkwalder Modena 40, Lube Banca Marche Macerata 39, Acqua Paradiso Monza 34, Marmi Lanza Verona 32, Tonno Callipo Vibo Valentia 26, RPA-LuigiBacchi.it Perugia, Prisma Taranto 23, Andreoli Latina 19, Yoga Forlì 17, Esse-ti Carilo Loreto 14, Aran Cucine Abruzzo Pineto 6.
1 Game in hand: Trenkwalder Modena, Lube Banca Marche Macerata, Acqua Paradiso Monza, RPA-LuigiBacchi.it Perugia, Prisma Taranto, Yoga Forlì, Aran Cucine Abruzzo Pineto
Serie A2 TIM round 21
Mantova vs Cavriagoon Tuesday
The Mantova versus Cavriago game, counting for the 21st round, has been forwarded to tomorrow night at 8.30pm because the PalaBam gym will not be available this weekend. The rest of the games will be played on Sunday.
A2 Round 21: forwarded game
Tuesday 2 february at 8.30pm
Canadiens Mantova – Edilesse Cavriago
(Simbari-Goitre)
A2 TIM: Round 21
Fixtures and refs
Round 21
Sunday 7 February at 6pm
BCC-NEP Castellana Grotte – Bassano Volley
(Piana-Cerquoni)
Samgas Crema – Globo Banca Popolare del Frusinate Sora
(Montanari-Bartoloni)
Katay Geotec Isernia – Codyeco Santa Croce
(Trevisan-Marchello)
M. Roma Volley – Nava Gioia del Colle
(Sessolo-Guerzoni)
Quasar Massa Versilia – Marcegaglia Ravenna
(Fiore-Guerra)
Sunday 7 February at 8.30pm
Zinella Bologna – Città di Castello Pallavolo – Live on SNAI Sat
(Prati-Balboni)
Pallavolo Padova – RESTED
League table
BCC-NEP Castellana Grotte 47, M. Roma Volley 43, Globo Banca Popolare del Frusinate Sora 38, Zinella Bologna 35, Marcegaglia Ravenna 33, Codyeco S.Croce 30, Samgas Crema 29, Città di Castello Pallavolo 25, Pallavolo Padova 24, Edilesse Cavriago, Quasar Massa Versilia 22, Bassano Volley 21, Katay Geotec Isernia 20, Nava Gioia del Colle 17, Canadiens Mantova 14.
1 game in hand: Globo Banca Popolare del Frusinate Sora, Zinella Bologna, Marcegaglia Ravenna, Samgas Crema, Canadiens Mantova