2011 CEV Champions League
Final Four: Trentino in for three consecutive triumphs
Bolzano is ready to host the Champions League Final Four. In the semi-final, Trento faces the Polish team of Jastrzebski Wegiel on Saturday at 3pm. The other semi final, 100% Russian, between Dinamo Moscow and Kazan will follow at 6pm.
Radostin Stoytchev (coach Trentino BetClic): “I’ve always believed there could not be any favourite in a Final Four because everything can change in no time, this is a fast and intense weekend of play. We want the final, playing it for the third consecutive year in front of our fans would be an amazing feeling. Our opponent will not give us anything, we’ll have to get rid of the pressure and expectations in the first actions, and play our best volleyball”.
Serie A1 Sustenium
Round 27
Two rounds left to the end of the regular season. The first two place will remain unchanged but there is a lot to play for in terms of playoffs and fight to stay up. Some big games draw the attention like Verona versus Modena and Macerata versus Treviso, but also Castellana Grotte, which needs three points to keeps its hopes to stay up alive, against San Giustino.
Round 27
Sunday 27 March at 6pm
Marmi Lanza Verona – Casa Modena Live on Rai Sport 1
Live streaming on http://www.raisport.rai.it/dl/raisport/multimedia/diretta.html
(Satanassi-Padoan)
Lube Banca Marche Macerata – Sisley Treviso
(Gnani-Santi)
Copra Morpho Piacenza – Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo
(Castagna-Pessolano)
Andreoli Latina – M. Roma Volley Live WebTV on www.legavolley.it
(Puecher-Tanasi)
Acqua Paradiso Monza Brianza – Tonno Callipo Vibo Valentia
(Sampaolo-Cipolla)
BCC-NEP Castellana Grotte – RPA-LuigiBacchi.it San Giustino
(Boris-Sobrero)
Thursday 31 March at 8.30pm
Itas Diatec Trentino – Yoga Forlì Live WebTV on www.legavolley.it
League table
Itas Diatec Trentino 67, Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo 59, Lube Banca Marche Macerata 47, Casa Modena 42, Sisley Treviso 40, Acqua Paradiso Monza Brianza 38, Marmi Lanza Verona 34, RPA-LuigiBacchi.it San Giustino 32, Tonno Callipo Vibo Valentia 32, M. Roma Volley 29, Andreoli Latina 26, Copra Morpho Piacenza 26, BCC-NEP Castellana Grotte 22, Yoga Forlì 10
Marmi Lanza Verona – Casa Modena
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 13 (11-2 Modena)
Bruno Bagnoli (Marmi Lanza Verona): “We’re getting ready to play a good game: we must try to make it difficult for Modena with the serve so that Fabroni is forced to move out of the three-meter line and has to play in a more predictable way. We’ll also have to do well in reception and allow Meoni to distribute the ball well and be unpredictable”.
Daniele Bagnoli (Casa Modena): “Only two games left and they are logically crucial to get to the playoffs with a good position and in good shape. We’re focusing on our game, in just a few days, we have to regain confidence in our understanding with the new setter. It’s true that Fabroni has played a lot this season but it’s obvious that Esko had been leading the team for the past two years. The understanding between Fabroni and Dennis is the most important. As for the spikers, we’ll still be without Diaz. Having said that, I believe in the team, in its quality and its will to do well. Verona is an excellent team, well balanced, careful and effective. I don’t think there is much difference between the two teams. Our first encounter was decided on very few plays. It will be a very tough one”.
Lube Banca Marche Macerata – Sisley Treviso
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 53 (28-25 Treviso)
Marko Podrascanin (Lube Banca Marche Macerata): “The game against Treviso is fundamental to get back on track after the defeats against Cuneo and Roma. Besides, we need points to secure this third place. We’ve had time to prepare the game as well as we wanted. Beyond the score, I expect to see some progress in our level of play. A player like Omrcen would be missed on any team, but we’ll just have to play as well as we can until he comes back”.
Rob Bontje (Sisley Treviso): “We’ll have to play well on Saturday, we have two games to reach this fourth place. I’m optimistic: we’ve worked very well during the week. We tried to find our rhythm again. Macerata is a difficult team to play against, especially in their gym, everybody knows it’s a tough place to go to”.
Copra Morpho Piacenza – Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 34 (23-11 Cuneo)
Hristo Zlatanov (Copra Morpho Piacenza): “Our main target is to focus on ourselves. When you look at the league table, it is obvious that Cuneo is stronger. We have to focus on our game, and work hard to take at least a point, we also have to prepare ourselves for the Roma game, which will be our last game. We must fight to win a set, then if we do we’ll be able to think of a second. Cuneo is a Balanced team, consistent, they don’t give much away, they make very few mistakes. We have to take advantage of anything that can come to our advantage, although we know it will very complicated”.
Alberto Giuliani (coach Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo): “We’re working very hard, with a target in mind: improve our schemes for this end of season. We’re focusing on the physical, as well as the technical aspect. I expect to play at a better level in the next few games, starting against Piacenza. It will be a very interesting test to see where we stand, and to understand in which direction we’ll go with our work next week”.
Andreoli Latina – M. Roma Volley
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 8 (7-1 Roma)
Danilo Contrario (scout man Andreoli Latina): “Very important game for our season, we need three points not to put everything in jeopardy. Hopefully, this will be a day of celebration for the fans, who give a lot of energy to support the team without offending the opponent. A family derby given that my brother is the scout of Roma, and has also been in Latina”.
Andrea Giani (coach M. Roma Volley): “Now that we’re safe, we can think about the playoffs, even if it won’t be easy. There are points to be taken but it’s obvious that it does not depend only on us. Even if we take 6 points, we’ll have to wait and see what happens on the other courts. We’re facing very difficult games too, both Latina and Piacenza need points in order not to run the risk to go down. It will be a very competitive and intense game against Latina, especially for them. As for us, it would be a shame not to go on court with maximum motivation and concentration. We’ll have to play focused and make things happen thanks to our technical and tactical skills, and not let the game be decided by the motivation of a team. Besides, we have to be consistent and keep our positive run going”.
Acqua Paradiso Monza Brianza – Tonno Callipo Vibo Valentia
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 3 (2-1 Monza)
Luca Monti (coach Acqua Paradiso Monza Brianza): “I’d like to see my team up for it on Sunday, and ready to fight for the result we need. I want to see the boys put maximum effort and enjoy their game, especially for our fans. Vibo is having a good season, but we have no reason to be afraid, we have to be aggressive right from the start with our serve and our work at the net. Aggressiveness and enthusiasm is what I expect from the boys”.
Giuseppe Defina (Team Manager Tonno Callipo Vibo Valentia): “Following our excellent victory over Piacenza, there was a good atmosphere in training, we know the game against Monza will be key for the playoffs. On the other side of the net, there will be a team that played very well this season, they will try to improve their position in the table before the post season. It will be crucial for us to go home with the win, we want to reach our target, we don’t want things to get complicated”.
BCC-NEP Castellana Grotte – RPA-LuigiBacchi.it San Giustino
PAST ENCOUNTERS: 1 (San Giustino)
Flavio Gulinelli (coach BCC-NEP Castellana Grotte): “This can be considered the final of all finals because it can chuck us out or give us a chance to go for it right till the end. I am confident because I see the boys working with great energy, we have improved a lot in our level of play too, we have our chance. San Giustino is still fighting for a playoff spot, so they’ll come here ready to make it tough for us. At home, with our fans, in the last home game, we want to keep hoping, thanking the supporters for staying close even through the tough times”.
Emanuele Zanini (coach RPA-LuigiBacchi.it San Giustino): “We couldn’t have faced a worse opponent right now. Castellana Grotte is playing to stay up in the top division, they will be ready for a fight. Still, following our victory over Monza, we want to gain more points to reach the playoffs. The boys will give their best, I’m sure they are keen to surprise some more”.
Serie A2 Sustenium
Round 29
The time has come: it is very likely that the promotion in the A1 will be decided in this round as the leaders Padova takes on Ravenna, second two points behind. They’ve been racing distant from one another but now has come the time to match up. If Padova was to win on any score, it could already celebrate, but if Ravenna comes on top, even if they take only two points, the final verdict would be postponed to the last round. Before that, however, on Saturday Sora meets Segrate, both looking to improve their position ahead of the playoffs. On Sunday, Città di Castello travels to Gela: it’s third against twelfth in a crucial game for both teams. Club Italia hosts Santa Croce, fourth, while Genova, fifth, entertains Reggio Emilia, eight and hoping to snatch the seventh place to go directly to the quarter-finals. This seventh place is occupied by Loreto, which travels to Isernia, 11th and already certain to take part in the playoffs. 13th place at stake between Perugia and Mantova, while Pineto plays host to Milan, ninth but just two points from seventh place.
Round 29
Saturday 26 March at 8.30pm
Globo Banca Popolare del Frusinate Sora – Volley Segrate 1978
(Valeriani-Bernobich)
Sunday 27 March at 6pm
Phyto Performance Padova – Marcegaglia CMC Ravenna Live WebTV on www.legavolley.it
(Balboni-Cerquoni)
Pallavolo Pineto – CheBanca! Milano
(Morgillo-Zavater)
Eurogroup Gela – Gherardi SVI Città Di Castello
(Falivene-Ravallese)
Sir Safety Perugia – Canadiens Mantova
(Chimento-Pignataro)
Carige Genova – Edilesse Conad Reggio Emilia
(Prandi-Guerzoni)
Club Italia A.M. Roma – NGM Mobile Santa Croce
(Zingaro-Costantini)
Geotec Isernia – Energy Resources Carilo Loreto
(Guarneri-Florian)
League table
Phyto Performance Padova 71, Marcegaglia CMC Ravenna 69, Gherardi SVI Città Di Castello 52, NGM Mobile S.Croce 52, Carige Genova 50, Volley Segrate 1978 49, Energy Resources Carilo Loreto 44, Edilesse Conad Reggio Emilia 43, CheBanca! Milano 42, Globo Banca Pop. Frusinate Sora 42, Geotec Isernia 40, Eurogroup Gela 32, Canadiens Mantova 29, Sir Safety Perugia 27, Pallavolo Pineto 21, Club Italia A.M. Roma 9
