Hurt by injuries on some of its main players as well as the flu, coach Giuliani is forced to call upon a few youngsters to fill the needs of the team ahead of the Champions League tie in Ljubljana. Still, four times 3-0 winners in four games, Macerata is already through to the playoffs 12.

“Just to think about it gives me a strange feeling – says Pajenk who will play for the first time in his home country as opponent – I played with Ach for three years before moving to the Italian league. Even if the offices were in Bled, the team was already playing its European games in Ljubljana. I am from Maribor I have a lot of friends there that will come to the game”.