The lists of teams to take part in the 2016-17 edition of the Champions League has been made official. The competition will have a new formula: for Italy, Civitanova and Modena (champion) will qualify directly to the group phase, while Perugia (league finalist) will have to take part in a preliminary round.
The number of teams has been extended, as wished by CEV President Aleksandar Boricic, to 36 teams coming from 25 countries. This restyling led to a new formula with preliminary rounds preceding the traditional group stage.
There will be 12 seeds already qualified for the group stage according to their ranking by nations with the results obtained in recent years in European competitions:
Zenit KAZAN (RUS)
Dinamo MOSCOW (RUS)
MODENA Volley (ITA)
Cucine Lube CIVITANOVA (ITA)
Halkbank ANKARA (TUR)
ISTANBUL BBSK (TUR)
Zaksa KEDZIERZYN-KOZLE (POL)
Asseco Resovia RZESZOW (POL)
BERLIN Recycling Volleys (GER)
Knack ROESELARE (BEL)
PARIS Volley (FRA)
S.C.M. “U” CRAIOVA (ROU)
The other 24 teams will play two knock-out preliminary rounds (2 maximum), out of which 8 teams will join the 12 seeds in the group stage. Given its ranking, Perugia will probably only play one round (home and away) though that was not made official yet by the CEV.
Here are the 24 teams that will go through the preliminary rounds in order of rankings:
Belogorie BELGOROD (RUS)
Sir Safety-Sicoma PERUGIA (ITA)
Arkas IZMIR (TUR)
PGE Skra BELCHATOW (POL)
VfB FRIEDRICHSHAFEN (GER)
Noliko MAASEIK (BEL)
Arago de SETE (FRA)
Dukla LIBEREC (CZE)
PAOK THESSALONIKI (GRE)
Dobrudja 07 DOBRICH (BUL)
Hypo Tirol INNSBRUCK (AUT)
Crvena Zvezda BEOGRAD (SRB)
Volley AMRISWIL (SUI)
ACH Volley LJUBLJANA (SLO)
Tiikerit KOKKOLA (FIN)
Budvanska Rivijera BUDVA (MNE)
Abiant Lycurgus GRONINGEN (NED)
Stroitel MINSK (BLR)
Selver TALLINN (EST)
Hapoel MATE-ASHER AKKO (ISR)
Mladost Marina KASTELA (CRO)
Omonia NICOSIA (CYP)
GENTOFTE Volley (DEN)
KV Besa PEJA (KOS)
The rest of the competition will remain the same with the Playoffs 12 and Playoffs 6, and the three winners joining the club host in the Final Four. There is one novelty though, it won’t be forbidden to have a final with two clubs of the same country.
The new Champions League 2017 will officially get under way with the preliminary rounds and group phase draw to take place at the European Gala of Volleyball in Rome on June 9, 2016.
