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INDESIT EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Twenty four teams, and Trentino ready to defend the title won last April in Prague at the expense of Iraklis Salonicco. Radostin Stoytchev’s road to this triumph was perfect: 12 wins in as many games, amongst which a victory over Italian counterpart Macerata in the semis. Together with Trentino and Macerata, there will be the Italian champions Piacenza, on its third participation. It went out in the eighth of final last season, knocked out by the Polish of AZS Czestochowa. The main phase will begin on the 2 December, with all the teams divided into 6 groups of 4. The first two classified teams of each group will play the Playoffs in 12, with home and away games on the 10 and 17 February. The last two classified teams will join the CEV Cup. The Playoffs with the last 6 will take place on the 10 March. The last stage of the competition will be the Final Four, which will crown the European Champion 2009-10. This will take place on the 10 and 11 of April in a venue still to be decided.
CEV CUP
The CEV Cup 2009-10 will begin on the 2 December with the 16th of final (return legs on the 9 December). Cuneo will be the Italian representative for the second year running, as it will try to improve on its third place obtained in 2009. It will start against Volley Amriswil, from Switzerland. The 8th of final will take place on the 6 and 13 January, while the quarters are scheduled on the 27 and 3 February. At the end of the first phase and the knock out rounds (16th, 8th and quarters), the four remaining teams will take part in a Challenge round, in which there will also be the best third teams of the Champions League. This will be on the 24 February and 3 March. On the 27 and 28, there will be the Final Four, which will reveal the name of the CEV Cup winner 2010.
GM CAPITAL CHALLENGE CUP
The Challenge Cup will be off on the second of December for the Italian teams. Perugia will make its debut in the second round against the Byelorussians of Metallurg Zhlobin. Last year, the challenge of the Italians ended with Treviso’s exit at the quarter final stage at the hand of Polish Jastrzebski Wegiel of Roberto Santilli. The Cup flew to Turkey thanks to Arkas Izmir’s triumph.
Once the second round is overcome, the 16 remaining team will face other 16 coming from the CEV CUP. There will therefore be the 16th of final (6 and 13 January), then the 8th (3 and 10 February). On the 27 and 28 March, there will be the final stage of the competition: the Final Four.
