2013 CEV Champions League

  • Italy - Lube Banca Marche Macerata, Itas Diatec Trentino, Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo


    Turkey - Fenerbahçe Grundig, Arkasspor


    Russia - Zenit Kazan, Dinamo Moscow


    Poland - Asseco Resovia, Skra Belchatow

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

  • Rumours say our current champion Marek Union-Ivkoni would be granted a wild card for the 2012-2013 CEV Champions League. We will have to wait to see if this would be the case indeed. If it turns out to be true, Marek will most probably lose all six games in the group stage as the team is not really prepared to play in Europe. One good thing, however, is that they are quite young, so at least they might gain some international experience. We will see who will get the WCs, but on the long run, and for the benefit of the tournament, it would be a shame for Russia not to have three teams in the CL based on the money they will invest this year!

  • Participating Teams


    Hypo Tirol INNSBRUCK (AUT)
    Noliko MAASEIK (BEL)
    Euphony ASSE-LENNIK (BEL)
    Jihostroj CESKE BUDEJOVICE (CZE)
    TOURS VB (FRA)
    Stade Poitevin POITIERS (FRA)
    BERLIN Recycling Volleys (GER)
    Lube Banca Marche MACERATA (ITA)
    TRENTINO Diatec (ITA)
    Bre Banca Lannutti CUNEO (ITA)
    Asseco Resovia RZESZOW (POL)
    PGE Skra BELCHATOW (POL)
    Remat ZALAU (ROU)
    Zenit KAZAN (RUS)
    Lokomotiv NOVOSIBIRSK (RUS)
    Crvena Zvezda BEOGRAD (SRB)
    ACH Volley LJUBLJANA (SLO)
    Caja 3 TERUEL (ESP)
    Fenerbahce Grundig ISTANBUL (TUR)
    Arkas IZMIR (TUR)


    Additionally, wild cards were assigned to the following clubs:


    Knack ROESELARE (BEL)
    Marek Union-Ivkoni DUPNITSA (BUL)
    VfB FRIEDRICHSHAFEN (GER)
    Generali UNTERHACHING (GER)
    Budvanska Rivijera BUDVA (MNE)
    Zaksa KEDZIERZYN-KOZLE (POL)
    Tomis CONSTANTA (ROU)
    Dinamo MOSCOW (RUS)


    http://www.cev.lu/News.aspx?Ne…0&Sd=1/1/1900&Ed=1/1/1900

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

  • The way to make the otherwise pale Champions League more attractive is to reduce the number of teams, not to increase them. 28 is a strange number based on the financial situation in some countries and based on the second phase qualification formula. 3 teams participating from Belgium is a good remark, but so is 2 teams from Romania. The level is certainly not going to be higher than in previous years. My biggest bewilderment is the wild card assignment to Tomis Constanta - not because they are from Romania, but because they were close to bankrupt recently and barely finished the season.


    There is a mistake in the article in CEV. Berlin Recycling Volleys do not participate for the first time in the CL, they used to do it already under the name SCC Berlin, the new sponsor doesn't change the history of the team and for sure they are not newcomers unlike Tomis and Marek.

  • If they give so many wild cards why they won't give it to the teams from Netherlands, Finland?
    3 teams from Belgium, Germany, 2 from Romania - I think it's quite too many. I don't think those 28 teams will represent the same level. Nothing will change. We will just have more weaker teams, level won't be higher, as people from CEV expect.

  • Because there are no teams from Finland or the Netherlands with money to pay for their Wild Cards :D

  • CEV loves money but not so much because Teams from Russia, Poland or Italy for sure will take one more Wild Card.

  • If they give so many wild cards why they won't give it to the teams from Netherlands, Finland?
    3 teams from Belgium, Germany, 2 from Romania - I think it's quite too many. I don't think those 28 teams will represent the same level. Nothing will change. We will just have more weaker teams, level won't be higher, as people from CEV expect.

    In fact Netherlands is entitled to an IECL spot by the CEV ranking list.
    I don't know what is the reason for Dutch teams not enlisting to IECL, but this might have to do with the clubs not being able to pay for IECL costs, or because they can't find a local broadcaster.


    Still, I'm not so sure a Finnish or a Dutch club would do much better than a Romanian or a Bulgarian one ...


    Edit: Looks like Netherlands is not anymore high enough in the ranking. But the problem remain, we haven't seen a Dutch team in IECL for a while ...

  • Knack Roeselare has a lot of experience in Champions League and they deserved to get a wild card instead of giving it to a Finnish club with no experience or a Dutch club with no money.


    Everyone is complaining that Belgium and Germany are represented with 3 teams in the CL, but these teams have better players, more money and more experience then an unknown Finnish or Dutch team.

  • There's a strong chance that Poitiers won't be able to play the IECL.


    The club is facing huge financial troubles. The board of administration resigned 2 days ago, and yesterday the French volleyball league confirmed the decision taken in December that the club was condemned to play next season in Ligue B because of false or incomplete declarations.


    The club has appealed the decision for now, but it's not even sure that they would be able to register for Ligue B!

  • There's a strong chance that Poitiers won't be able to play the IECL.


    The club is facing huge financial troubles. The board of administration resigned 2 days ago, and yesterday the French volleyball league confirmed the decision taken in December that the club was condemned to play next season in Ligue B because of false or incomplete declarations.


    The club has appealed the decision for now, but it's not even sure that they would be able to register for Ligue B!


    fcking hell :white:

  • 3 Teams from Belgium, c mon..


    And? You are afraid of seeing Skra beaten by Knack like 2 years ago? Or maybe Jazstrezbski demolished by Noliko like two years ago?
    Teams from Belgium are quite good...
    In my eyes russian, italian and polish teams are favorite but when it comes to another country against a team from Belgium it's at least 50-50 so don't complain about it.
    Morever Knack deserve the wild card as they were playing in CL so much times in a row and often go out of their pool.


  • And? You are afraid of seeing Skra beaten by Knack like 2 years ago? Or maybe Jazstrezbski demolished by Noliko like two years ago?
    Teams from Belgium are quite good...
    In my eyes russian, italian and polish teams are favorite but when it comes to another country against a team from Belgium it's at least 50-50 so don't complain about it.
    Morever Knack deserve the wild card as they were playing in CL so much times in a row and often go out of their pool.


    Mladost Zagreb played in CL final, regular in CL fopr few years so they should get WC too? I've great respect for Belgium teams (clubs and NT) but 3 Belgium clubs r way too much. I would rather see less clubs in CL that 28 and many of them doesn't posses quality and money to play CL

  • Mladost Zagreb played in CL final, regular in CL fopr few years so they should get WC too? I've great respect for Belgium teams (clubs and NT) but 3 Belgium clubs r way too much. I would rather see less clubs in CL that 28 and many of them doesn't posses quality and money to play CL

    Ok I agree with you and I'm also against this new formule with 28 teams...but if there are really 28 teams then I prefer to see a third belgian than a team from a country where volleyball is very weak (without offense to anyone)

  • If Knack is on level from previous seasons I would give them WC. But u know better than me Knack is shadow of previous team that beat SKRA :drink:

    They are building a totally new team for next season with many young players...I hope they'll be able to show some good volleyball but at the time we're speaking it's impossible to know.