CEV Champions League 2025

    After all relevant championship decisisions in European Leagues are there, here is the list of qualified teams for pool stage and how they qualified:


    Italy: A.Carraro Imoco CONEGLIANO (league round winner), Savino Del Bene SCANDICCI (got to the finals), Allianz Vero Volley MILANO (third place)

    Turkey: Fenerbahce Opet ISTANBUL, Eczacibasi Dynavit ISTANBUL (both finalists), VakifBank ISTANBUL (third place)

    Poland: Grupa Azoty Chemik POLICE, PGE Rysice RZESZOW (both finalists), BKS Bostik ZGO BIELSKO-BIAŁA (third place)


    France: LEVALLOIS PARIS Saint Cloud, Neptunes NANTES (finalists)

    Germany: SSC Palmberg SCHWERIN, Allianz MTV STUTTGART (finalists)


    The champions of their leagues are also eligible:


    Ukraine: SC "Prometey" DNIPRO

    Serbia: Jedinstvo Stara PAZOVA

    Bulgaria: Maritza PLOVDIV


    Because Russia is still suspended (it seems at least) instead of the finalists Kasan and Kaliningrad these two might inherit berths:


    Hungary: Vasas Obuda BUDAPEST

    Slovenia: Calcit KAMNIK


    and if one of the above won't play, the next would be VOLUNTARI from Romania, there the new surprise champions (fifth in league round, defeated Alba BLAJ in playoff finals).


    There are as usual not many changes in participation to CL 2024: from Italy and Turkey none at all, for Poland Police and Bielsko-Biala replace the both teams from Lodz, for France both are replaced: Paris and Nantes for Volero Le Cannet and Mulhouse and for Germany Schwerin replaces Potsdam (in total 5 of 18). We have to wait, which teams vie via qualification for the two remaining CL berths.

    Serbia have constant participant from like always, 2019 messed this up because no clubs participate after COVID and messed league rating but in last 3 years our clubs have solid results, mostly 2 wins per group. Winning winnable games. So we will stay on 15,16 place in the future, with is more than enough for group stage participations.

    it seems chemik and stuttgart gonna be weaker than last time

    I hope.they can still give a fight

    Nice summary Stefans👏 I still thinks 20 is too many for cl and this should have been limited to 16 teams to keep the level high as long as Russian clubs are out

    Quote from Jules

    it seems chemik and stuttgart gonna be weaker than last time

    I hope.they can still give a fight

    Stuttgart will have weaker setters and middles, if the draw is nice, they may get into quarters though, but no chance to deliver a fight there as against Fenerbahce in current CL season 2024.

    First dates are known (CEV document of 8. May 2024, which I just discovered):


    Decision regarding competition format, here final four again instead of superfinals (to be decided, currently only discussed) takes place on 15. June 2024, afterwards the teams application starts.


    The registration deadline for the clubs is explicitly noon of 21. June 2024.


    Drawing of Lots (for all European Cups competitions) including pool stage: 16. July 2024 in Luxembourg at 12:00 CEST.


    For the womens competition the ban of Russia and Belarusia stands, the consequences are (nearly) as expected: Ukraine gets two berths (?), Hungary and Slowenia one berth each for pool stage = fourth round.


    Document is here to find (first official communication 2025): https://inside.cev.eu/documents/volleyball-documents/

    The cups for the drawing of lots are now known, Chemik Police is not within the teams as no Ukrainian team and also less direct replacements were made, so the fourth DOL cup consists only on 5 best qualifiers from third round of CL:


    First (the powerhorses): Conegliano, Scandicci (both ITA), Fenerbahce, Eczacibasi (both TUR), Milano (third of ITA)


    Second (the runners up): VakifBank (!), because only third in last Turkish championship, the two remaining Polish teams Rzeszow and Bielsko-Biala, and the two French teams Paris and Nantes


    Third (two dark horses from Germany): Stuttgart, Schwerin, Plovdiv (BUL), Budapest (HUN), Kamnik (SLO)


    Look here:


    https://www.cev.eu/articles/cl…mpions-league-women-2025/

    And the 10 teams fighting for the last 5 spots are:
    Asterix Avo Beveren (BEL)

    ZOK Gacko (BIH)

    Mladost Zagreb (CRO)

    CV Gran Canaria (ESP)

    Rabotnicki Skopje (MKD)

    OK Herceg Novi (MNE)

    Budowlani Łódź (POL)

    FC Porto (POR)

    CSO Voluntari 2005 (ROU)

    Tent Obrenovac (SRB)

    Not very good teams overall, strongest is supposed to be Lodz, acceptable are Asterix, Zagreb and Voluntari IMHO, the remainder should better not try... maybe Obrenovac is also acceptable.

    I watched the DOL, feels like it's the third time in 3-4 years that Imoco and Rzeszow draw each other? They should know the other gym and nearby hotels well by now :rolll: Any group that would have drawn Vakifbank was gonna be death pool, I'm just happy that the German teams are not in there so they can have a fair shot to reach play-offs (if the new setters are able to play a similar game as before) :box:

    POOL A:


    A.Carraro Imoco CONEGLIANO (ITA, defending and two times champions)

    DevelopRes RZESZOW (POL)

    Maritza PLOVDIV (BUL)

    and 3rd round winner of GACKO (Bosnia, very weak) against Mladost ZAGREB (CRO, clear cut favorite in 3rd round)

    And yes, there will be a final four again only for women clubs: after quarters they will convene at a final location and play the semis and the big finals there again!

    I was quite bored, so I recovered via Web Archive stats from CL from 2004 to 2008:


    Magaly Carvajal was such a freak, played as a MB-receiver-spiker as a 36yo at such high level, I wonder if she's the 2nd-best MB of all time behind Regla. Kirillova-Aguero, Gioli-Francia, Swieniewicz-Metcalf - damn, those 00s Italian teams had ridiculous depth.


    https://web.archive.org/web/20…4/2323/2326/index_EN.html

    https://web.archive.org/web/20…34/2323/2326/1528_EN.html


    Ravva with 29 pts in 4 sets in the semifinal of 2005 CL, wow, and she did such stuff on regular basis


    https://web.archive.org/web/20…0/5881/5884/index_EN.html


    Sokolova killing it in the CL 05 final, young Poljak being fantastic as well:


    https://web.archive.org/web/20…70/5881/5884/4264_EN.html


    Mirka Francia with 20 pts on 70% attack efficiency in '06 CL final:


    https://web.archive.org/web/20…25/8726/8732/6370_EN.html


    Gruen with 30 pts in 07 CL final, outplaying Gamova and with well-deserved MVP


    https://web.archive.org/web/20…/11575/11581/8644_EN.html


    Gioli with 21pts on 67% attack efficiency in the 08 CL final


    https://web.archive.org/web/20…13396/13398/10238_EN.html


    Damn, it was so different volleyball back then with so many MBs or MB-spikers/converted OHs from MB (Ravva, Carvajal, Gioli, Francia) doing such damage.