Inside VolleyCountry

Due to current European cups ranking list and the playoffs are now in final phase for the top four ranked European leagues already, eight of the 12 teams eligilbe to take part in CL pool stage 2019 are already known now (the four other leagues have to determine their champions, because only those are allowed):

Turkey: Eczacibasi and VakifBank Istanbul
Russia: Dynamo Kazan and Moscow
Italy: Novara and Conegliano
Germany: Stuttgart and Schwerin

The tragedy is, that both teams from Germany are highly unlikely to take part, they will downgrade to CEV cup or even Challenge cup (like this season). Stuttgart couldn't increase the budget of the soley pure private sponsors and lacks about 200.000 Euro to do it, and there is effectively no support by public money at all, even much less as in Schwerin or Dresden for example. And the Palmberg hall in Schwerin, which is not very big, is obviously now too small (about five years old!), due to current CEV regulations, despite it was used some years ago for CL. That would mean, they had to change for example to a hall in Hamburg for participating in CL, what is no great idea of course. In Germany the third of championship is already determined, and because Dresden has both a suitable hall (Margon arena, really not new, but sufficient) as the required budget (was always calculated in to play CL), they are supposed to apply for qualification rounds of CL - it seems impossible to get a fixed pool stage berth. Those are dispended to other leagues than, for example I expect successfully defending Serbian champions (where they get a lot of public money for this purpose like in Romania too) Vizura RUMA (located in Belgrade) to take one of those berths. Volero Zürich will not be eligible IMHO because of change of the league too (Switzerland -> France). I think, CEV is in serious trouble with this competition, because of too expensive regulations...

Now the champions of Serbia, Vizura RUMA, and Finland, HPK HÄMEENLINNA are known. Assuming the very same regulations as last season are in order by CEV and knowing for the trouble im Germany, where both finalists are highly unlikely to take part in CL (pool stage) as Volero leaving Switzerland and Pfeffingen not being able to cope with CL demands, there are likely three empty berths and Azerrail BAKU is also unlikely to apply for a CL berth of any kind, the champions of Czech republic (highly likely Prostejov again), Vizura RUMA and HPK HÄMEENLINNA will be able to go straight to the CL pool stage as the champions of the next best leagues in European Cups ranking. Therefore we are waiting essentially for the champions of Poland, France and Romania (CSM BUKAREST will highly likely get the title from Alba BLAJ this time) to complete the pool stage members (12 teams).

Yesterday CSM Bukarest secured Romanian championship and qualified this way for pool stage of the next season CL. Final Four hosts Alba Blaj are for sure vice champions, so they are eliglible to take part in qualification rounds. The last two pool stage members missing now for the season coming are Polish and French champions...