European cups 2012-2013
Going back on top of Europe: this will be the goal of Macerata, Trentino and Cuneo, which will take part in the Champions League 2012-13. Meanwhile, Latina will make its full debut in Europe with the Cev Cup. The main threat for the Italians will come from the Russian front. Indeed, last season Kazan won the Champions League and Dinamo Moscow won the Cev Cup.
The third continental competition, the Challenge Cup, will begin on October 20 with the first round, but Piacenza will kick off its season in the second round halfway through November. Piacenza is back in Europe after three years out. To make it there, Piacenza had to get rid of Monza and then Belluno in the playoffs for a place in the competition last season.
2013 CEV Champions League
FORMULA
28 teams, 7 pools of 4 teams. The winner of each group and the five best second go through. At this point, the Cev chooses the organizer of the Final Four among the 12 qualified teams. The organizer goes directly to the semi-finals and is substituted by the 6th best second of the group phase. The 7th best second and the three best third will play in the Cev Cup, starting in the Challenge Round. Then, there are the playoffs 12 and playoffs 6, from which 3 teams will join the organizers in the Final Four. All the rounds have home and away games except for the Final Four.
ITALIANS
Trentino Diatec (Pool C)
Lube Banca Marche Macerata (Pool D)
Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo (Pool G)
Looking in great shape in this beginning of season (3 three-point wins), Cuneo will kick off first just like last season, facing the Romanian champs of Remat Zalau on Tuesday. The French of Sete and the Polish of Rzeszow are the other teams of the group.
It will be Macerata’s turn on Wednesday. The Italians fly out to Belgium to take on Asse-Lennik, finalist of the Belgium league last season. Seventh participation for Macerata, winner of the competition in 2002 against Olimpiakos. In the group, Giuliani’s boys will also face the German champions of Unterhaching and the Slovenian champions of Ljubljana.
Finally on Thursday, recently crowned winners of the World Club Championships for the fourth time running, Trentino will play host to the Serbian champions of Crvena Zvezda. Kazyiski and co will also meet Zaksa Kedzierzyn-Kozle, Poland, and Tours, France. Trentino will hunt for its fifth Final Four and fourth trophy.
THE 7 GROUPS
Pool A
Zenit Kazan (RUS)
Knack Roeselare (BEL)
Hypo Tirol Innsbruck (AUT)
VfB Friedrichshafen (GER)
Pool B
Berlin Recycling Volley (GER)
Jihostroj Ceske Budejovice (CZE)
Budvanska Rivijera Budva (MNE)
Lokomotiv Novosibirsk (RUS)
Pool C
Trentino Diatec (ITA)
Crvena Zvezda Beograd (SRB)
Zaksa Kedzierzyn-Kozle (POL)
Tours VB (FRA)
Pool D
Lube Banca Marche Macerata (ITA)
Ach Volley Ljubljana (SLO)
Generali Unterhaching (GER)
Euphony Asse-Lennik (BEL)
Pool E
Dinamo Moscow (RUS)
Tomis Constanta (ROU)
Pge Skra Belchatow (POL)
Fenerbahce Grundig Instanbul (TUR)
Pool F
Arkas Izmir (TUR)
Marek Union-Ivkoni Dupnitsa (BUL)
Noliko Maaseik (BEL)
Cai Teruel (SPA)
Pool G
Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo (ITA)
Arago de Sete (FRA)
Asseco Resovia Rzeszow (POL)
Remat Zalau (ROU)
CEV Champions League – Round 1
Tuesday October 23 at 6pm (Italian time)
POOL G
Remat Zalau (ROU) – Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo (ITA) Live on Sportitalia 2
(Pashkevich-Raptis)
Wednesday October 24 at 8.30pm
POOL D
Euphony Asse-Lennik (BEL) – Lube Banca Marche Macerata (ITA) Live on Sportitalia 2
(Bernaola-Grieder)
Thursday October 25 at 8.30pm
POOL C
Trentino Diatec (ITA) – Crvena Zvezda Beograd (SRB) Live on Sportitalia 2
(Ormonde-Rychlik)
2013 CEV Cup
FORMULA.
The Cev Cup will begin at the 16th of finals (32 teams), then there will be the 8th of finals, quarters, Challenge Round, semi-finals and final. The losers of the first round will play in the Challenge Cup 16th of final. The four winners of the quarters will meet the four teams coming from the champions League in the Challenge Round. Then the winners qualify for the semis. Home and away games for each round.
ITALIANS
Andreoli Latina
Excitement all around as Latina will make its full debut in Europe. The team of President Gianrio Falivene had a great start in the Italian league and will face its first European game in an ideal frame of mind. The first obstacle will be the Bulgarians of Sofia away from home.
16th of final first leg
Wednesday October 24 at 6pm (Italian time)
CSKA Sofia (BUL) – Andreoli Latina (ITA)
(Danil-Pop)
