A lot of time seems to have gone by since that 16th of March. Verona was head down against Benfica Lisboa. The European run threatened to come to an end and Verona was also 2-0 down in its league playoffs quarter-final series. Things were looking pretty dark but then something happened. In the space of ten days, everything changed. Now Verona is in the Challenge Cup final and they tied the series with Perugia with Game 5 to be played at home. Now Giani’s men have the opportunity to make history. The last obstacle is named Fakel Novi Urengoy. Fifth in the Russian league behind Zenit Kazan, Dinamo Mosca, Belogorie Belgorod and Gazprom-Yugra Surgut, the strong team guided by coach Igor Chutchev is entirely composed of Russian players. They cruised through to the final, registering ten wins in as many games played.
Fixtures
Final first leg
Wednesday 30 March at 8.30pm
Calzedonia Verona (ITA) – Fakel Novi Urengoy (RUS) Live on TeleNuovo and Live on Fox Sports HD
Final return leg
Sunday 3 April at 3pm Italian time
Fakel Novi Urengoy (RUS) – Calzedonia Verona (ITA) Live on TeleNuovo and Live on Fox Sky Sport Plus
COPPA CEV PAST WINNERS
(The CEV Cup used to be the third European Cup until 2007 when the Challenge Cup took over)
1980/81 A.S. Cannes (FRA)
1981/82 Starlift (NED)
1982/83 Panini Modena
1983/84 Panini Modena
1984/85 Panini Modena
1985/86 Kutiba Falconara
1986/87 Enermix Milano
1987/88 Automobilist Leningrado (URSS)
1988/89 Automobilist Leningrado (URSS)
1989/90 Moerser Moers (GER)
1990/91 Sisley Treviso
1991/92 Maxicono Parma
1992/93 Sisley Treviso
1993/94 Ignis Padova
1994/95 Cariparma Volleyball Parma
1995/96 Alpitour Traco Cuneo
1996/97 Area Ravenna Volley
1997/98 Sisley Treviso
1998/99 Iveco Palermo
1999/00 Piaggio Roma
2000/01 Lube Banca Marche Macerata
2001/02 Noicom Brebanca Cuneo
2002/03 Sisley Treviso
2003/04 Kerakoll Modena
2004/05 Lube Banca Marche Macerata
2005/06 Lube Banca Marche Macerata
2006/07 Fakel Novy Urengoi (RUS)
CHALLENGE CUP PAST WINNERS
2007/08 Cimone Modena
2008/09 Arkas Izmir (TUR)
2009/10 RPA-LuigiBacchi.it Perugia
2010/11 Lube Banca Marche Macerata
2011/12 Tytan AZS Czestochowa (POL)
2012/13 Copra Elior Piacenza
2013/14 Fenerbahce Grundig Istanbul (TUR)
2014/15 Vojvodina NS Seme Novi Sad (SRB)
