The Champions League final four will get under way this weekend in the 15 thousand capacity Tauron Arena in Krakow, Poland. Semi-finals are scheduled on Saturday with the holders of Kazan taking on the hosts of Rzeszow at 4.30pm, while at 7.30pm, it will be time for the all-Italian clash between Trento and Civitanova, a remake of the semi-final 2009 when Trento won its first trophy.
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEMI-FINALISTS
Zenit Kazan. Already certain to be champion 2016 in Russia, the holders of the competition coached by Alekno can count of some of the top stars on the International scene such as Cuban spiker Leon and the Northern American Anderson. To direct traffic there will be Butko. The Russians have been in the Final Four six consecutive years. They dominated the group stage with only one set lost in six games, then they knocked out two Polish teams: Gdansk in the Playoffs 12 and Belchatow in the Playoffs 6. They have won the Champions League 2008, 2012 and 2015.
Asseco Resovia Rzeszow. The team of Kowal and former Civitanova star Bartosz Kurek (he played there the past two years and won the Italian title 2014) was finalist last year. Their main men are spikers Akhrem and Penchev, and libero Ignaczak. They won their group and were then directly qualified to the final four as the organizer of the competition. They’re chasing their first triumph in history.
Trentino Diatec. Fifth participation in the final four out of seven possible times. Their last appearance was four years ago (2012, semi-final lost against Kazan). That was the end of a four-year period in which the club took the trophy home three times running: in 2009 vs Thessaloniki in Prague, in 2010 vs Dinamo Moscow in Lodz, and in 2011 against Kazan in Bolzano. The two recent participations did not go as well: in 2013 it went out in the Golden set of the Playoffs 12 against Dinamo Moscow, while they were stopped in the Playoffs 6 by Belgorod the following year. This season, they finished top of their group, then got rid of Asse-Lennik (Belgium) in the Playoffs 12 and then Belgorod in the Playoffs 6.
Cucine Lube Civitanova. Fourth appearance in a Champions League final four out of ten participations. They won the competition once in 2002 in Opole, Poland, on their full debut in Europe’s elite. Among the stars that celebrated victory over Olympiacos there was already Ivan Miljkovic. After that their best result were two fourth place, in 2007 (loss vs Dinamo Moscow in game for third place) and in 2009 (loss vs Iskra Odintsovo) when the club had been knocked out of the semi-finals by Trento (3-0). Since then, Civitanova crashed out three times at the Playoffs 12 stage and twice in the Playoffs 6 (beaten by Trento in 2012 and by Cuneo in 2013).
This season, they cruised through the group stage before overcoming Izmir (Turkey) in the Playoffs 12 and Ankara in the Playoffs 6 thanks to a 17-15 Golden set win in Turkey.
SCHEDULE
2016 CEV Champions League, Final Four – Krakow (POL)
1st semi-final
Saturday 16 April at 4.30pm
Zenit Kazan (RUS) – Asseco Resovia Rzeszow (POL) Differed on Fox Sports Plus on Sunday 17 at 10.45am
2nd semi-final
Saturday 16 April at 7.30pm
Trentino Diatec (ITA) – Cucine Lube Civitanova (ITA) Live on Fox Sports Plus
Game for third place
Sunday 17 April at 2.45pm Live on Fox Sports Plus
FINAL
Sunday 17 April at 6pm Live on Fox Sports Plus
PAST WINNERS
(The Champions Cupl became the Champions League in 2000-2001)
1960 CSKA Mosca (URSS)
1960/61 Rapid Bucarest (ROM)
1961/62 CSKA Mosca (URSS)
1962/63 Rapid Bucarest (ROM)
1963/64 SC Leipzig (GDR)
1964/65 Rapid Bucarest (ROM)
1965/66 Dinamo Bucarest (ROM)
1966/67 Dinamo Bucarest (ROM)
1967/68 Spartak Brno (CEC)
1968/69 CSKA Sofia (BUL)
1969/70 Burevestnik Alma Ata (URSS)
1970/71 Burevestnik Alma Ata (URSS)
1971/72 Zetor Zbroyovka Brno (CEC)
1972/73 CSKA Mosca (URSS)
1973/74 CSKA Mosca (URSS)
1974/75 CSKA Mosca (URSS)
1975/76 Dukla Liberec (CEC)
1976/77 CSKA Mosca (URSS)
1977/78 Plomien Milowice (POL)
1978/79 Stella Rossa Bratislava (CEC)
1979/80 Klippan CUS Torino
1980/81 Dinamo Bucarest (ROM)
1981/82 CSKA Mosca (URSS)
1982/83 CSKA Mosca (URSS)
1983/84 Santal Parma
1984/85 Santal Parma
1985/86 CSKA Mosca (URSS)
1986/87 CSKA Mosca (URSS)
1987/88 CSKA Mosca (URSS)
1988/89 CSKA Mosca (URSS)
1989/90 Philips Modena
1990/91 CSKA Mosca (C.S.I.)
1991/92 Il Messaggero Ravenna
1992/93 Il Messaggero Ravenna
1993/94 Edilcuoghi Ravenna
1994/95 Sisley Treviso
1995/96 Las Daytona Modena
1996/97 Las Daytona Modena
1997/98 Casa Modena Unibon
1998/99 Sisley Treviso
1999/00 Sisley Treviso
2000/01 Paris Volley (FRA)
2001/02 Lube Macerata
2002/03 Lokomotiv Belgorod (RUS)
2003/04 Lokomotiv Belgorod (RUS)
2004/05 Tours (FRA)
2005/06 Sisley Treviso
2006/07 VfB Friedrichshafen (GER)
2007/08 Dinamo Kazan (RUS)
2008/09 Trentino Volley
2009/10 Trentino BetClic
2010/11 Trentino BetClic
2011/12 Zenit Kazan (RUS)
2012/13 Lokomotiv Novosibirsk (RUS)
2013/14 Belogorie Belgorod (RUS)
2014/15 Zenit Kazan (RUS)
While Latina and Piacenza qualified for the Challenge Playoffs final four in two games over Milan and Padova, the two other ties will be decided in Game 3.
Calzedonia Verona will have to do it the hard way following its defeat on the road in spite of a 1-0 lead. They lost an opportunity and now they don’t want to experience the same disappointment as against Perugia in the League playoffs quarter-finals Game 5 at the tie-break. In order to go through, the Challenge Cup holders will have to cut down on their mistakes compared to the last game in which coach Giani made various substitutions in vain. Kovacevic’s 20 points were not enough to have the better of CMC Romagna who won behind an MVP performance from Van Garderen (22 points) and 23 points from Torres.
Exprivia Molfetta was close to qualification too but will have to start from scratch. They won the first game in four sets and were one set ahead in Monza but then lost their way just when they seemed to have things under control. The club hopes to have Fernando Hernandez fit to play just on time. Monza gained a lot in accuracy from the first to second game. They dominated in every fundamental, especially in the attack and blocking. Ivan Raic and top scorer Botto (19 points) stood out. Monza only won four times in 11 against Molfetta but the trend is in their favour with two consecutive regular season win. Monza dreams of an upset.
Challenge playoffs, quarter-finals Game 3
Sunday 17 April at 6pm
Calzedonia Verona – CMC Romagna Live on Lega Volley Channel
Exprivia Molfetta – Gi Group Monza Live on Lega Volley Channel
Challenge Playoffs, Final Four
Semi-finals
Sunday 24 April
Final
Monday 25 April
Playoffs Challenge UnipolSai, Quarters Game 3
Past encounters: 14 (8-6 Verona)
This season: 2 games: Verona won both, first 3-0 away then 3-1 at home
Matteo De Cecco (Ass.coach Calzedonia Verona): “Not much time to reset and start over. We’ll leave this poor Game 2 behind us, we made a lot of mistakes and let it slip away too much in the difficult times. That was the first time in recent weeks that we haven’t been able to find a reaction. We have to forget about it and give it all in this crucial match that has a place in the final four at stake. Unfortunately, the fourth place in Regular season and the victory in the Challenge Cup do not guarantee us a place in Europe next season so we have to earn it on court. Hopefully, we’ll find the mental energy to do well and get back in European competition next year”.
Waldo Kantor (Coach CMC Romagna): “I am very happy with Wednesday’s performance because we couldn’t have said goodbye to our fans in a better way. We managed to put the loss in Verona behind us and had a great reaction. I expect to see Verona at its best on Sunday given that the club declared wanting to win the playoffs. But regardless of their intentions, I expect my players to have another game played to the best of our abilities”.
Past encounters: 11 (7-4 Molfetta)
This season: 2 games: Monza won both, first 3-1 home then 3-1 away.
Joao Rafael de Barros Ferreira (Exprivia Molfetta): “We have been too careless in Monza. We’re missing our starting outside hitter. Personally, I’m doing my best in position 2. To win on Sunday, we have to limit our mistakes on the serve and in reception. These are mistakes that gets into your mind and influence you psychologically. I think Game 3 will be different from the last: we’ll have the fans with us. We have to believe we can do it, we have to win it at all cost”.
Ivan Raic (Gi Group Monza): “I think our excellent focus allowed us to win on Wednesday. We have taken care of every aspect we had studied for the game. In Game 1, we had been a little surprised to see Rafael as outside hitter. But now, we have adjusted. We have to build on the excellent volleyball seen at home, on the effective block-dig area and the good flow of our attack. We need to maintain a high level of intensity. If we do that I think we can get a positive result even in Molfetta, where it’s always tough to win”.
Secondo atto al via per le Semifinali Play Off Serie A2 UnipolSai. In Gara 1 le squadre favorite hanno rispettato i pronostici della vigilia. Nell’anticipo di domani alle 20.30 la Conad Reggio Emilia cercherà di impattare la serie con la Tonno Callipo Calabria Vibo Valentia, mentre domenica 17 aprile alle 18.00 la Maury’s Italiana Assicurazioni Tuscania cercherà un pronto riscatto a Montefiascone nel derby contro la Globo Banca Popolare del Frusinate Sora.
Conad Reggio Emilia needs a breakthrough to prevent Vibo from taking a 2-0 lead in the series. The mission at hand is tough but the team has proved more than once this season they could upset bigger teams. On Wednesday, a poor start cost them the first set, they lost a lead in the second and the third was a 40-minute battle that went Vibo’s way. More effective in attack and brilliant at the net, Vibo have kept impressing in spite of being without star man Antonio De Paola for most of the season. They have a top class combination of setter-outside hitter and they have spikers like Vedovotto, Casoli and Verissimo who can make the difference at any moment. The winner of the regular season and Italian Cup A2 is determined to go up.
Tuscania has a lot of regrets following the Game 1 lost in the tie-break in the derby against Sora but the team knows they have what it takes to bounce back. Indeed, when they found themselves trailing 2-1 they reacted like a top team to force the tie-break. In the end, however, after a battle that lasted 30 minutes in the fifth, Sora managed to snatch the opening victory. And that’s a good side for coach Soli, who saw his men fight through adversity to come out on top. This is only the first game of the series but that was definitely one of the most thrilling encounters of these playoffs. Fabroni and co will now aim to go 2-0 up as they try to qualify for a final they failed to reach on several occasions in recent years.
Serie A2 playoffs, semi-finals Game 2 (on the best of 5)
Saturday 16 April at 8.30pm
Conad Reggio Emilia – Tonno Callipo Calabria Vibo Valentia Live on Lega Volley Channel
Sunday 17 April at 6pm
Maury’s Italiana Assicurazioni Tuscania – Globo Banca Popolare del Frusinate Sora Live on Lega Volley Channel
Game 3
Wednesday 20 April at 8.30pm
Tonno Callipo Calabria Vibo Valentia – Conad Reggio Emilia Live on Lega Volley Channel
Globo Banca Popolare del Frusinate Sora – Maury’s Italiana Assicurazioni Tuscania Live on Lega Volley Channel
