Men's Club World Championship 2017

  • From FIVB news:


    "The win earns Lube a ticket to the 2017 FIVB Club World Championship next December in Poland, as the title holder of one of the top two non-qualified countries in the FIVB World Rankings."


    That's a new one for me!

  • This is also what we have on Wikipedia:


    ZAKSA Kedzierzyn-Kozle (Hosts, 2017 Polish champions)
    Sarmayeh Bank (2016 Asian champions)
    Sada Cruzeiro (2017 South American champions, reigning Club World champions)
    Zenit Kazan (2017 European champions)
    Cucine Lube Civitanova (2017 national champions from the top 2 countries in the FIVB World Ranking as of 31. December 2016 from not yet qualified countries)
    Personal Bolivar (2017 national champions from the top 2 countries in the FIVB World Ranking as of 31. December 2016 from not yet qualified countries)
    PGE Skra Bełchatów (wild card)
    1 wild card


    The same criteria are applied for Lube and Bolivar's invitation. True, we had never had anything like this before. I consider it a wider wild card granting process because of the new format. Let's see whether they will grant "wild cards" to the non-represented continents (Africa and North America) or they will just aim for better quality. Although frankly speaking, this is finally a tournament to look forward to. But I would still love to see every continent represented, no matter if the last two teams will be cannon fodder.

  • I'm afraid that if they would have wanted Africa and North America represented, they would have simply chosen the two champions of these countries...
    So I guess the wild cards will go to one team from Europe (Perugia as second in CL?) and one from South America (UPCN as third? A Brazilian teams?). Or, like in the women WCCh, to the teams willing to pay for it.


    Anyway, it's better to have Bolivar and Lube qualified for a real reason (a reason we can like or not, but still a reason) then for a random wild card, imho. But I would like to see all the continents represented as well.

  • Skra Belchatow with one of the two wild cards. So it seems that either Africa or North America (more probable) won't be represented.

  • North American really does not have a country club competition. Puerto Rico or Cuba would work, but Africa at least has a continental club championship.

    We know that :) I would even say that probably half (if not more) of the North American countries do not even have a regular championship. What I meant above was that, after all, in a Club WORLD Championship one would expect members from all continents. Never mind, I hope that at least an African team will get the last wild card.

  • Hopefully the wild card goes to a european team from Italy. Makes the tournament a lot more interesting.

    Favorite players: M: Maxim Mikhaylov, Murilo, Serginho, Aaron Russell, Otavio, Simone Giannelli, Ivan Zaytsev, Tsvetan Sokolov, Michał Kubiak, Mariusz Wlazly, Pawel Zagummy W: Sheilla, Zhu Ting, Natalia, Fe Garay, Fofao, Gabi, Thaisa, Foluke Akinradewo, Wei Qiuyue, Ding Xia, Carli Lloyd, Fabi, Natalia Goncharova, Yuko Sano, Saoris Kimura and Sakoda


    #FreeBritney

  • The wild card should go to Brazil. Sesi and Taubate are stronger than any Italian Team.


    Sesi and Taubate can beat Cruzeiro and Kazan while Italian Teams can`t.


    But once they have to pay to get the wild card, any Brazilian team must find a sponsor that is willing to give the money, that`s how Osasco was able to get the wild card. Otherwise they can`t afford.


    And I don`t like how this tournament will be held in December. All leagues will need to change their schedule once they play regular season games in December.

  • Last year, South America underservingly sent 4 teams to the Club Championship with Europe only sending in two despite being the stronger volleyball continent. :whistle:


    Plus I really doubt the biggest European clubs are weaker than Taubate and SESI. :whistle:


    And I feel having more european teams preferably italian teams can make this tournament a lot interesting since they have better amd willing sponsors than in Superliga.

    Favorite players: M: Maxim Mikhaylov, Murilo, Serginho, Aaron Russell, Otavio, Simone Giannelli, Ivan Zaytsev, Tsvetan Sokolov, Michał Kubiak, Mariusz Wlazly, Pawel Zagummy W: Sheilla, Zhu Ting, Natalia, Fe Garay, Fofao, Gabi, Thaisa, Foluke Akinradewo, Wei Qiuyue, Ding Xia, Carli Lloyd, Fabi, Natalia Goncharova, Yuko Sano, Saoris Kimura and Sakoda


    #FreeBritney

  • Never mind, I hope that at least an African team will get the last wild card.


    I really can't imagine that happen, even if I'm sorry for it (and I hope it will happen).
    If they were willing to have an African team, they could have simply inserted the 'African 2017 Champion' to the list of admitted team...



    The wild card should go to Brazil. Sesi and Taubate are stronger than any Italian Team.


    For me the wild cards (or at least one of the two) should't be given to the stronger teams not already qualified nor to the teams that pay for it the most, but to the teams that deserved it more on court (also because... who can decide which is the "stronger team"? It's quite subjective, if you don't stick to the results on court).


    In this case, imho these teams are Perugia as second of CL and UPCN as third in the Sud American Championship (since the second, Bolivar, is already qualified).


    As I said before, it is ok for me to give a wild card to a Brazilian team too, also because both Argentina and Italy had 'help' (the new rule) to bring a team to the WCCh so one team from these countries can be enough.
    But in this case (since I look for the merits earned on court, as written above) the team to got it should be Funvic, as second of Brazilian Championship (because the first is Sada, already qualified).
    And we can apply the same to Dinamo Mosca, as second of the Russia Championship, the strongest in Europe.


    You will now realize that from my 'earned on court qualification' point of view, imho Belchatow didn't deserve the wild card.
    Ok, they're the second of their championship too, but in the 'european league ranking' Poland is lower than both Russia and Italy and even lower than Turkey, so before Belchatow we theoretically have: Dinamo Mosca (second in Russia), Trento (second in Italy), Ankara (first in Turkey – being first it may even come before Dinamo and Trento!), Arkas Izmir (second in Turkey).
    And if we consider that also Zaksa is participating without earning it on court... Why Brazil or Russia or Italy or Argentina should have a team less than Poland? ?(


    In synthesis, for me both the wild cards should have gone to two of these four teams: Perugia, UPCN, Funvic, Dinamo Mosca

  • Ps you will notice that I didn't even entered the discussion 'are Sesi and Taubate stronger than the strongest Italian teams?', because for me it doesn't (or better, it shouldn't) matter at all in the assignment of the wild cards.


    So I won't consider answer like 'But Sesi is stronger than Perugia', because it's not the point of my post. (By the way, I DO think Sesi is – or at least was, I don't remember the new roster – stronger than Perugia :P)


    But I can consider answer like 'I don't agree with you, for me you just have to pick the stronger teams available not caring about ranking, championship and stuff like that' ;)

  • ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle (POL), paese ospitante
    Sarmayeh Bank (IRAN), campione d’Asia
    Zenit Kazan (RUS), Campione d’Europa
    Sada Cruzeiro Vôlei (BRA), campione del Sud America
    Cucine Lube Civitanova (ITA), Fivb Ranking
    Personal Bolívar (ARG), Fivb Ranking
    PGE Skra Bełchatów (POL), wild card
    Shanghai (CHN), wild card.


    So deserved wild card :rolll:

  • Tough group for Sarmayeh.


    I would rather have Shanghai to Pool A.


    Sarmayeh could've made Pool B interesting.

    Favorite players: M: Maxim Mikhaylov, Murilo, Serginho, Aaron Russell, Otavio, Simone Giannelli, Ivan Zaytsev, Tsvetan Sokolov, Michał Kubiak, Mariusz Wlazly, Pawel Zagummy W: Sheilla, Zhu Ting, Natalia, Fe Garay, Fofao, Gabi, Thaisa, Foluke Akinradewo, Wei Qiuyue, Ding Xia, Carli Lloyd, Fabi, Natalia Goncharova, Yuko Sano, Saoris Kimura and Sakoda


    #FreeBritney

  • Pool A is stronger indeed. But not because of Shanghai, but rather because of Skra in Pool B :D And Cruzeiro in A, of course. However, if Shanghai do show up with Lyneel and Conte, things will get interesting. This might turn out to be one of the best, if not the best, World Club Championship we've had in a while. Still, I find it a bit unfair that there is no North American team here. Yeah, I know, popularity and drama and class and stuff.

  • After the 13th Chinese National Games, Shanghai Volleyball Club will change many players.
    According to my message, Ren Qi will be retired and Han Tian-yi will return from Team Zhejiang.
    If there are no heavy injuries about any players, I guess the roster:
    S - Zhan Guo-jun, Zhang Su-lei, Xu Zhen-sen
    OP - Dai Qing-yao, Lin Wei-qi
    OH - Facundo Conte, Julian Lyneel, Han Tian-yi
    MB - Zhang Zhe-jia, Chen Long-hai, Zhang Yi-chen, Tao Zi-xuan
    L - Tong Jia-hua, Zhi Jia-cheng
    However, these players may replace some of them: Jiang Hong-bin, Li Nan, Tian Cong (all OHs), Wang Yuan-jie, Qi Qi (both MBs), Li Jia-bin (S), Huang Bin (OH/L) and so on (unknown players)

    My favourite roster of Chinese (in 2022)
    male NT:
    S - Yu Yao-chen, Chen Lei-yang
    OP - Jiang Chuan, Dai Qing-yao
    OH - Zhang Jing-yin, Yu Yuan-tai, Liu Li-bin, Fu Hou-wen
    MB - Zhang Zhe-jia, Peng Shi-kun, Li Yong-zhen, Jiang Zhen-yang
    L - Yang Yi-ming, Yang Tian-yuan


    female NT:
    S - Yao Di, Diao Lin-yu
    OP - Gong Xiang-yu, Sun Xiao-xuan
    OH - Li Ying-ying, Wang Yi-fan, Wu Meng-jie, Zhuang Yu-shan
    MB - Yuan Xin-yue, Wang Yuan-yuan, Zheng Yi-xin, Liu Yu
    L - Ni Fei-fan, Xu Jia-nan

  • The wide rosters of 20 players have been shown though you have to use some "techniques" such as changing the website and using FIVB app.
    Shanghai VC (Shanghai Golden Age) will "give" the players of China men's NT with two foreigners (Facundo Conte and Julien Lyneel):
    S - Liu Meng, Mao Tian-yi, Zhan Guo-jun, Li Run-ming
    OP - Jiang Chuan, Tang Chuan-hang, Wang Jing-yi
    OH - Zhang Chen (Captain), Facundo Conte, Julien Lyneel, Zhong Wei-jun, Zhang Bing-long
    MB - Zhang Zhe-jia, Chen Long-hai, Rao Shu-han, Gu Jia-feng, Zhang Zu-yuan
    L - Ren Qi, Tong Jia-hua, Ma Xiao-teng
    bold as the players in Shanghai VC of Chinese League 17/18


    Rao Shu-han joined (was loaned to) Shanghai VC in 2016 Asian Club Championship.

    My favourite roster of Chinese (in 2022)
    male NT:
    S - Yu Yao-chen, Chen Lei-yang
    OP - Jiang Chuan, Dai Qing-yao
    OH - Zhang Jing-yin, Yu Yuan-tai, Liu Li-bin, Fu Hou-wen
    MB - Zhang Zhe-jia, Peng Shi-kun, Li Yong-zhen, Jiang Zhen-yang
    L - Yang Yi-ming, Yang Tian-yuan


    female NT:
    S - Yao Di, Diao Lin-yu
    OP - Gong Xiang-yu, Sun Xiao-xuan
    OH - Li Ying-ying, Wang Yi-fan, Wu Meng-jie, Zhuang Yu-shan
    MB - Yuan Xin-yue, Wang Yuan-yuan, Zheng Yi-xin, Liu Yu
    L - Ni Fei-fan, Xu Jia-nan

  • The last 14-player roster of Shanghai Golden Age:
    S - Zhan Guo-jun, Liu Meng
    OP - Jiang Chuan, Wang Jing-yi
    OH - Zhang Chen (Captain), Facundo Conte, Julien Lyneel, Zhong Wei-jun, Zhang Bing-long
    MB - Zhang Zhe-jia, Rao Shu-han, Gu Jia-feng
    L - Tong Jia-hua, Ren Qi


    The people in the training camp, Zhang Zu-yuan (MB) and Tang Chuan-hang (OP), will not participate in the tournament.

    My favourite roster of Chinese (in 2022)
    male NT:
    S - Yu Yao-chen, Chen Lei-yang
    OP - Jiang Chuan, Dai Qing-yao
    OH - Zhang Jing-yin, Yu Yuan-tai, Liu Li-bin, Fu Hou-wen
    MB - Zhang Zhe-jia, Peng Shi-kun, Li Yong-zhen, Jiang Zhen-yang
    L - Yang Yi-ming, Yang Tian-yuan


    female NT:
    S - Yao Di, Diao Lin-yu
    OP - Gong Xiang-yu, Sun Xiao-xuan
    OH - Li Ying-ying, Wang Yi-fan, Wu Meng-jie, Zhuang Yu-shan
    MB - Yuan Xin-yue, Wang Yuan-yuan, Zheng Yi-xin, Liu Yu
    L - Ni Fei-fan, Xu Jia-nan