The 2012 CEV Champions League

    Knack Randstad ROESELARE to miss 2012 CEV Champions League?


    Roeselare, Belgium, March 27, 2011. Since 1997 the final of the Belgian national league has been always an affair between Noliko MAASEIK and their archrivals of Knack Randstad ROESELARE. However, this year it looks like there is going to be a major change on top of the charts, after ROESELARE lost this past weekend 0:3 to Noliko while Euphony ASSE-LENNIK climbed up to second place in the provisional standings by defeating AVERBODE 3:1. There are only two more rounds left before the end of the Playoffs and as per the rules established by the Royal Belgian Volleyball Federation, the teams ranked first and second at the end of this campaign get the right to represent the country in the next edition of the CEV Champions League.
    Euphony ASSE-LENNIK, which is currently mentored by the former head coach of France’s BEAUVAIS Oise, Alain Dardenne, played pretty well in the 2011 CEV Cup and is currently ranked second in the national league after claiming 3:0 wins over Noliko MAASEIK – that made it to the Playoffs 6 of the 2011 CEV Champions League – and 2010 national champion Knack Randstad ROESELARE.
    “We had set three goals for this season: first, to make it to the Playoffs 12 of the CEV Champions League; second, to notch the national cup and last but not least to retain our title in the national league. We achieved our first two goals but it would be a pity if we finally did not qualify to the finals of the national league” says the general manager of ROESELARE, Diederik Degryse. “Of course such results have some commercial implications, especially for the next season”. In order to make it to the finals, Knack Randstad ROESELARE needs to score two 3:0 or 3:1 victories in the next games against Prefaxis MENEN (away) and AVERBODE, this one to be played at home. At the same time Euphony ASSE-LENNIK shall lose some points in their next matches with HALEN and Prefaxis MENEN. “If we do not make it to the finals, it will be only our fault. If you lose matches at home as well as away in this section of the season, it is clear that we are not playing that well. We finished the regular season on top of the standings with a margin of 4 points over Noliko MAASEIK and even twelve over ASSE-LENNIK. But this is sport. Perhaps this is a good moment to step back, analyze the situation and think about the future of this team” says head coach Dominique Baeyens.

    24 teams from 16 countries to fight for glory in 2012 CEV Volleyball Champions League


    A total of 16 countries will be represented in the 2012 CEV Volleyball Champions League – Men, the world’s finest Volleyball club competition whose starting field was determined by combining the European Ranking List and attributing 4 wild cards as per the provisions of the official regulations. The 24 teams that next October will start their campaign for international glory are:


    Hypo Tirol INNSBRUCK (AUT)
    Noliko MAASEIK (BEL)
    Euphony ASSE-LENNIK (BEL)
    CSKA SOFIA (BUL) wild card
    Jihostroj CESKE BUDEJOVICE (CZE)
    CAI TERUEL (ESP)
    Stade Poitevin POITIERS (FRA)
    TOURS VB (FRA)
    VfB FRIEDRICHSHAFEN (GER)
    Generali UNTERHACHING (GER) wild card
    Iraklis THESSALONIKI (GRE)
    TRENTINO BetClic (ITA)
    Bre Banca Lannutti CUNEO (ITA)
    Lube Banca Marche MACERATA (ITA)
    Budvanska Rivijera BUDVA (MNE) wild card
    PGE Skra BELCHATOW (POL)
    Zaksa KEDZIERZYN-KOZLE (POL)
    Remat ZALAU (ROU) wild card
    Zenit KAZAN (RUS)
    Lokomotiv NOVOSIBIRSK (RUS)
    ACH Volley BLED (SLO)
    Partizan Termoelektro BEOGRAD (SRB)
    Fenerbahce ISTANBUL (TUR)
    Arkas IZMIR (TUR)


    There are three rookies that are joining the CEV Volleyball Champions League for the first time in history, namely Euphony ASSE-LENNIK, the real sensation of this past season in Belgium where this club edged top favourite Knack Randstad ROESELARE to qualify for the finals of the national league, plus Lokomotiv NOVOSIBIRSK, winner of the latest edition of Russia’s national cup, and Serbian champion Partizan Termoelektro BEOGRAD, a team lining up Aleksandar Atanasijevic, the captain of Serbia’s junior national team who is almost unanimously considered one of the most promising Volleyball players out there.
    Italy is the sole nation being represented by three teams with triple champion TRENTINO BetClic lining up for a fourth consecutive campaign whereby the guys around head coach Radostin Stoytchev will try to stretch their dominance in international club competitions.

    "Lo sbaglio più grande e quello di credere di aver vinto prima ancora di giocare la partita"

    Does someone know why Olympiacos resigned ?


    (and I'm finding out that the dutch champion will not take part as well, which is not the first time, if someone can explain the situation in Holland ...)

    Quote from Armel

    and I'm finding out that the dutch champion will not take part as well, which is not the first time, if someone can explain the situation in Holland ...)


    The situation (in whole Dutch volleyball) can be explained in 3 words: lack of money...


    I'm not joking: though Rotterdam became champion, their coach (former NT-MB Albert Cristina) will leave the club because the club can't afford a fulltime-headcoach anymore...Cristina said he will now search a normal job, in civil society.. the budget of the club will decline, though they became champion ;( ;(

    Russia totally deserve a third team in the CL, especially after Zenit and Dinamo played F4 in Bolzano. I was sure we will see Dinamo Moscow in the CL this season again.. CSKA is very lucky to receive a wild card for a 4th year in a row, now they will have the chance to play in the new sports hall in Sofia. The only question is whether they will find money again to keep the experienced players (no one knows how many seasons more they will play) because it is clear that they will not find better free Bulgarians. Maiyo left the team already, he will leave a gap for sure, and overall I am not sure how strong this new CSKA will be.. maybe weaker than last year's team.


    CEV normally distributes wild cards in a way that allow more countries to take part in the tournament, which is not a bad decision, but I think this time they could've used one of them for Dinamo Moscow. Good to see Iraklis back even though they are not the current champions, I hope they will do better than Olympiacos last year despite the crisis in Greece.

    Quote from YavorD

    Russia totally deserve a third team in the CL, especially after Zenit and Dinamo played F4 in Bolzano. I was sure we will see Dinamo Moscow in the CL this season again.. CSKA is very lucky to receive a wild card for a 4th year in a row, now they will have the chance to play in the new sports hall in Sofia. The only question is whether they will find money again to keep the experienced players (no one knows how many seasons more they will play) because it is clear that they will not find better free Bulgarians. Maiyo left the team already, he will leave a gap for sure, and overall I am not sure how strong this new CSKA will be.. maybe weaker than last year's team.


    CEV normally distributes wild cards in a way that allow more countries to take part in the tournament, which is not a bad decision, but I think this time they could've used one of them for Dinamo Moscow. Good to see Iraklis back even though they are not the current champions, I hope they will do better than Olympiacos last year despite the crisis in Greece.


    CSKA president said that if they receive a Wild Card he will make a stronger team than last year. Without Mayo it will be hard, also Stefanov is way too old now. It is strange to me that they get another WC, not that I will mind to watch the games in the new hall :).

    Quote from Anormalen


    CSKA president said that if they receive a Wild Card he will make a stronger team than last year. Without Mayo it will be hard, also Stefanov is way too old now. It is strange to me that they get another WC, not that I will mind to watch the games in the new hall :).

    I know very well what he said, but it doesn't mean that they are going to actually build a stronger team. At the moment this seems like a very difficult task. But yes, playing in the new sports hall will be a great experience :)

    Quote from YavorD

    CSKA is very lucky to receive a wild card for a 4th year in a row, now they will have the chance to play in the new sports hall in Sofia.

    I doubt luck has anything to do with this decision! When a team is getting 4 wild cards in a row, even after the shameful behavior of some stupid people against Rzeszow last season, I think it's got more to do with politics than with luck!


    That been said, few volleyball clubs can say that their games are attended by the President of Republic/King/Prime Minister, as well as few European Federation can claim the same attendance and interest for Volleyball than the Bulgarian one.
    Plus CSKA proved they are good enough to compete in IECL.


    So overall I'm fine with Bulgaria being issued a Wild Card every season, and since other Bulgarian Clubs would likely embarrass themselves in IECL, I guess it has to be given to CSKA.

    Quote from Armel

    I doubt luck has anything to do with this decision! When a team is getting 4 wild cards in a row, even after the shameful behavior of some stupid people against Rzeszow last season, I think it's got more to do with politics than with luck!


    That been said, few volleyball clubs can say that their games are attended by the President of Republic/King/Prime Minister, as well as few European Federation can claim the same attendance and interest for Volleyball than the Bulgarian one.
    Plus CSKA proved they are good enough to compete in IECL.


    So overall I'm fine with Bulgaria being issued a Wild Card every season, and since other Bulgarian Clubs would likely embarrass themselves in IECL, I guess it has to be given to CSKA.

    I said lucky because we know there are better teams which could have been granted the wild card instead - Dinamo Moscow, Resovia Rzeszow, to name a few. I also think CSKA deserve their sport in the IECL based on the performance of the last two years + attendance, but just as you said - if CEV have decided to punish the club for the stupid behaviour of some fans, they would be unlucky not to play in the tournament - not only this season, but during the last one too. And by luck I don't mean a pure consequence of events, you should rather take it as a chance/opportunity to be among the best teams in Europe for a 4th season in a row. Of course, if Georgi Georgiev were not the current president of the team and one of the general sponsors of CEV, the situation would be completely different.

    This evening in Vienna the 6 pools will be definated, live streaming on laola1.it from 8 p.m.


    The 24 clubs are divided in 4 categories according to their ranking referred to the European Cups of 2007/2008, 2008-2009, 2009-2010. In each pool there will be a team from each category.
    I don't know if it's possible that team from the same national championship will be in the same pool, somebody knows?


    In the first one there are the 6 best clubs, that are going to be the "heads of the series" (in italian "teste di serie", I've no idea how to traslate it!! sorry): Trentino Diatec, Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo, (Italy); Zenit Kazan, Lokomotiv Novosibirsk (Russia); Iraklis Thessaloniki (Greece); PGE Skra Belchatow (Poland).


    Then they will pick the teams from the second category to join one of the "teste di serie", and Zaska has to be the first to be picked: Zaksa Kedzierzyn-Kozle (Poland); Stade Poitevin Poitiers e Tours Vb (France); Noliko Maaseik e Euphony Asse-Lennik (Belgium); Fenerbahce Istanbul (Turkey)


    Then the teams of the third category, and Arkas Izmir will be picked at first: Arkas Izmir (Turkey); Cai Teruel (Spain); Vfb Friedrichshafen e Generali Untheraching (Germany); Hypo Tirol Innsbruck (Austria); ACH Volley Ljubljana (Slovenia)


    At the end the teams of the 4th category, and Macerata will be picked as first (they are in this category because Macerata is italian third club, and because only Italy has 3 clubs they have to be insert here): Lube Banca Marche Macerata (Italy); Partizan Termoelektro Beograd (Serbia); Jihostroj Ceske Budejovice (Czech Republic); Budvanska Rivijera Budva (Montenegro); Remat Zalau (Romania); Cska Sofia (Bulgaria).


    That's mean that one pool will have Macerata as the "weaker" team. Lucky xD

    The draw is tomorrow evening, 1st July, not today, as far as I know. Where did you get the information about the pots? Was it published in Italian media somewhere? Draws for the CL have always been an example for stupidity, CEV do not distribute the teams properly, so I will not be surprised in case this is the final version of the pots.

    Quote from YavorD

    The draw is tomorrow evening, 1st July, not today, as far as I know. Where did you get the information about the pots? Was it published in Italian media somewhere? Draws for the CL have always been an example for stupidity, CEV do not distribute the teams properly, so I will not be surprised in case this is the final version of the pots.


    yes sorry it's tomorrow!!


    I found all the info in Trentino volley official website: http://www.trentinovolley.it/n…ggio-di-venerdi-sera.html

    It sounds like big joke. Iraklis in 1st 8| , Friedrichshafen in 3rd 8| , Macerata in 4th 8|, new Novosibirsk in 1st 8|

    Bartek, it's just the nation ranking: Italy, then Russia, Greece, Poland and so on...


    Of course, a club ranking would be better but CEV don't have one.

    Quote from Armel

    Bartek, it's just the nation ranking: Italy, then Russia, Greece, Poland and so on...


    Of course, a club ranking would be better but CEV don't have one.


    How it's possible that Greece has a better ranking than Poland, but has only one team while Poland (and France, etc) has two? :what:


    Bartek, sorry, I didn't understand, do you mean "No, I don't know" or "No, it's impossible that team from the same nation are togheter"? (I imagine the second...?)

    Quote from Kk15

    How it's possible that Greece has a better ranking than Poland, but has only one team while Poland (and France, etc) has two? :what:


    Bartek, sorry, I didn't understand, do you mean "No, I don't know" or "No, it's impossible that team from the same nation are togheter"? (I imagine the second...?)


    Because Iraklis played more times on F4 than Polish teams...Poland and France have better NT ranking but Greek clubs were more successful in IECL :wavy:

    Quote from Kk15

    How it's possible that Greece has a better ranking than Poland, but has only one team while Poland (and France, etc) has two? :what:

    Because Olympiacos resigned taking part to the competition. (I guess it's because of financial problems)
    In the case that a team does not want to play the IECL, the CEV issues a wild card to any other club, and in this case it was not given to a team in Greece . (By the way I doubt many Greek clubs could afford to pay the expenses of IECL participation)

    Quote from Armel

    Because Olympiacos resigned taking part to the competition. (I guess it's because of financial problems)
    In the case that a team does not want to play the IECL, the CEV issues a wild card to any other club, and in this case it was not given to a team in Greece . (By the way I doubt many Greek clubs could afford to pay the expenses of IECL participation)


    Oh, thanks for explanation! Now it has sense :dance6:


    and they chose Zaska, Izmir and Macerata as first team to be picked in their own group because their nations are best-ranked than nations of the other clubs in the same category :?:


    At the biginning I thought it was ralated with their results in CEV Cup and Chellenge Cup, but 'cause the group are made in accord with the results till 2009-2010 it would have been wird...