Luxembourg, March 14, 2018. After Sir Colussi Sicoma PERUGIA won their away match on March 13, another 10 teams will try to make a step forward towards reaching the Playoffs 6 phase of the 2018 CEV Volleyball Champions League – Men tonight. As the teams qualified in the round are the top-skilled ones, the games are becoming tougher and the price of faults is even more important. The first match is starting at 18.00 CET, the second at 19.30 CET while the latest three games will all start at 20.30 CET. Enjoy the live stream at Laola1.tv.
Noliko MAASEIK (BEL) vs. Lokomotiv NOVOSIBIRSK (RUS)
• For the first time in four years, Noliko MAASEIK have reached the Playoffs 12 stage of the CEV Volleyball Champions League. In their last appearance in 2014, the Italian team of TRENTINO Diatec was too strong for the Belgians.
• This is the first ever encounter between Noliko MAASEIK and Lokomotiv NOVOSIBIRSK, although it is already the sixth Russian opponent in the history for Noliko, after Dinamo MOSCOW (6 times), Iskra ODINTSOVO (5), Belogorie BELGOROD (6), Lokomotiv-Izumrud EKATERINBURG (3) and Samotlor NIZHNEVARTOVSK (2).
• When the Siberian team conquered one of its two Russian Cups in 2011, one of their middle blockers was Matias Raymaekers. The Belgian international started and finished his CEV Champions League career with Noliko MAASEIK (2002-2005 and 2013-2016).
• Lokomotiv celebrated their biggest triumph in 2013, winning the gold medal in the CEV Champions League. In a truly dramatic final, they beat Bre Banca Lannutti CUNEO 16-14 in the tiebreak. The Italian team’s captain back then was Wout Wijsmans, now the manager of Noliko MAASEIK.
• Three players in the current team of Lokomotiv have played against Noliko before. The Russian naturalised Slovakian Lukas Divis (32) eliminated MAASEIK in the Playoffs with VfB FRIEDRICHSHAFEN in 2007 and in 2011 with JASTRZEBSKI Wegiel he cancelled Noliko’s Final Four ambitions in a Golden Set.
• The Swede Marcus Nilsson (35) already crossed the path of Noliko with Iraklis THESSALONIKI in 2007. Turkish setter Arslan Eksi (32) distributed the passes at ISTANBUL BBSK against Noliko last season.
• In 1995, Noliko already had to fly 4,100 km in order to reach the city of Surgut, where they played Samotlor NIZHNEVARTOVSK. With 4,950 kilometres, Novosibirsk sets a new distance record for Noliko.
• Next to Matias Raymaekers, only one player has ever defended both the colours of Noliko and Lokomotiv: the Puerto Rican opposite Hector 'Picky' Soto played in 2001-2002 for Noliko and from 2007 to 2009 in Novosibirsk.
Jelte Maan, team captain of Noliko MAASEIK: “I expect a clash of two styles. With their height, the Russians prevail in attack and in service pressure, whereas we are better in defence and speed of execution. For me personally, it has been five years since I made the Playoffs, because I missed 2014 due to a back surgery. In the five campaigns before, I always made it to the Playoffs, so this gives me a good feeling after so many years. Just like the level of our teams feels nice: it is fun to know that we can reach the level to beat top teams like Arkas IZMIR and Zaksa KEDZIERZYN-KOZLE. We will try to achieve this again this Wednesday, so that we will not have to make that long trip to Siberia for nothing next week. And last but not least I have a revenge to take with Lukas Divis, who denied us a place in the Final Four in 2011 with JASTRZEBSKI Wegiel.”
Wout Wijsmans, Manager of Noliko MAASEIK: “Lokomotiv are of course the favourites, since they came out on top of their pool. However, we can play without any pressure. The Playoffs 12 is an extra round for us, an extra experience, because most of our players have never participated in the Champions League before.”
PGE Skra BELCHATOW (POL) vs. Cucine Lube CIVITANOVA (ITA)
• A sold-out Atlas Arena in the city of Lodz, the third largest one in Poland, is ready for another classic encounter. The Playoffs 12 match between PGE Skra BELCHATOW and Cucine Lube CIVITANOVA will be the tenth time in history these two teams will be locking horns.
• They first played each other more than 11 years ago – on December 12, 2006, the then Polish champions sensationally defeated Lube Banca Marche 3-1 in Macerata.
• The Italian powerhouse has claimed five wins this far, while PGE Skra have prevailed four times.
• The last matchup took place only three months ago, in the semi-finals of the FIVB Club World Championship. Cucine Lube scored a triple 25-23 and advanced to the final to take the silver medal from that competition, while PGE Skra had to be content with fourth place.
“We are a different team than in December, when we lost 0-3. We knew that the beginning of the season was going to be difficult for us and we needed time. However, we did not play poor versus Lube; actually, we had our chances and we could have won the opening set. Our opponents are in a different position as well. In December they were invincible, now they are angry and still dangerous. That is going to be a great match, and we love the Champions League atmosphere,” stated PGE Skra captain Mariusz Wlazly, the hero of the first matchup with Lube back in 2006.
“It will be the thirtieth match for PGE Skra in Atlas Arena. The number of spectators, who have enjoyed the opportunity to support our team in Lodz, has risen to over 330,000. We hope to hit 350,000 this season,” Konrad Piechocki, the club president smiles. “Such result would mean another classic game in the next round.”
“The Atlas Arena gives us always an amazing power and great support from our fans. We feel like at home there and we do not need much time to adjust, however one extra day can only help us,” says Bartosz Bednorz. The PGE Skra outside hitter is happy with the fact that his club started preparations in Lodz on Monday already, one day earlier than usually.
“We experienced many problems at the beginning of the group stage and some people stopped to believe in our power. However, we showed great team spirit and despite the injuries of our two setters, we managed to advance to the Playoffs 12. I am looking forward to these matches,” Roberto Piazza, PGE Skra head coach, stated at a specially convened press conference. He is happy that Grzegorz Lomacz is back to the roster after having problems with his knee.
“We are in a stage of the season, which is full of difficult matches and one of these is the game in Lodz against PGE Skra. The Polish team is very good, and we have already met them this season. On Wednesday we must approach the match very well in order to travel back home with the best possible result. I want my players to forget the Italian Championship for three days and fully focus on the Champions League,” said Cucine Lube head coach Giampaolo Medei.
CHAUMONT VB 52 Haute Marne (FRA) vs. TRENTINO Diatec (ITA)
• CHAUMONT VB 52 Haute Marne have made it to the Playoffs in their first-ever participation in the CEV Volleyball Champions League.
• Last weekend, CHAUMONT lost the final of the French national cup to TOURCOING Lille Métropole.
• The roster of CHAUMONT VB 52 Haute Marne includes three Italian players – Francesco De Marchi, Cuba-born Javier Augusto Gonzalez Panton and Argentinean-born Bruno Lima Basolu. Their coaching staff around Silvano Prandi is mostly Italian as well.
• TRENTINO Diatec have started the Playoffs of the Italian national league with a 3-2 home victory over Calzedonia VERONA.
Jérémie Mouiel, libero of CHAUMONT VB 52: “24 hours before the game we are feeling good. This match will enable us to forget the disappointment resulting from losing the national cup final last Saturday, so this is a good way to move ahead.”
Nicholas Hoag, player of TRENTINO Diatec: “Surely we are a little bit tired but it’s the same for CHAUMONT because they played a big final last weekend. The key for winning tomorrow will be service and reception in order to help us develop a qualitative game. And personally I’m happy to come back to France because I spent several years there so it’s a real pleasure.”
JASTRZEBSKI Wegiel (POL) vs. Zaksa KEDZIERZYN-KOZLE (POL)
• For both teams, the biggest achievement in the CEV Champions League is the third place. JASTRZEBSKI Wegiel took bronze in 2014 in Ankara and Zaksa achieved the same feat back in 2003 in Milano.
• Ferdinando De Giorgi, current head coach of JASTRZEBSKI Wegiel was in charge of Zaksa KEDZIERZYN-KOZLE for two years and won with the team two Polish Championships (2016, 2017) and the Polish Cup (2017) as well.
• Last time JASTRZEBSKI Wegiel won against Zaksa dates back to January 2015. Since then, the club from KEDZIERZYN-KOZLE has won ten matches in a row across all competitions.
• Both teams won their last matches in the PlusLiga. JASTRZEBSKI Wegiel beat Łuczniczka BYDGOSZCZ (3-1) and ZAKSA KEDZIERZYN-KOZLE edged MKS BEDZIN (3-1). Both teams played away matches.
Ferdinando De Giorgi, head coach of JASTRZEBSKI Wegiel: “Zaksa have been ruling Polish Volleyball for three years. It is a fantastic team, but I think we have chances. This is not even about playing perfectly, but aggressively and maintaining consistency from the start to the end of the match. We know the level of the opponent, but we must believe that everything is possible in this battle.”
Paweł Zatorski, libero of Zaksa KEDZIERZYN-KOZLE: “We realise the fact that it is a top phase of the CEV Champions League. At this stage the clashes are prestigious, rivals are skilled and JASTRZEBSKI Wegiel, in addition, are from Poland, and with a coach, who knows us very well. It will be difficult to play against them and to secure our progression to the next round.”
BERLIN Recycling Volleys (GER) vs. VfB FRIEDRICHSHAFEN (GER)
• The German “Clash of the Titans” is the first such derby ever contested in the CEV Volleyball Champions League.
• BERLIN and FRIEDRICHSHAFEN will play each other three times during the next eight days – counting the Playoffs 12 and Germany’s Bundesliga.
• After BERLIN played the 2017 Final Four in Rome, one of these two German teams will reach the Playoffs 6 this season, thus proving the international competitiveness of German clubs.
• FRIEDRICHSHAFEN has been invincible this season, claiming 31 wins with a straight victory over Volleyball Bisons BÜHL in the German National Cup recently. BERLIN won five out of six matches with their new coach Stelian Moculescu having lost the game with reigning Club World Champions and CL titleholders Zenit KAZAN.
• For Stelian Moculescu, Wednesday’s match will be the first one to play against his former club that he coached for as long as 19 years. Moculescu claimed the Champions League title with FRIEDRICHSHAFEN in 2007.
Georg Klein, middle blocker of BERLIN Recycling Volleys: “Those who will not come to Max-Schmeling-Halle this Wednesday will definitely miss out on something! Playing the Playoffs 12 round against VfB FRIEDRICHSHAFEN is a real Volleyball clash that will make the hall seethe. We will do our best to benefit from our home-court advantage to claim a first win in this series.”
Markus Steuerwald, libero of VfB FRIEDRICHSHAFEN: “We managed to beat BERLIN already twice this season. BERLIN has a new coach, but the roster of their team has not changed compared to previous matches we played with them in the Supercup and Bundesliga. We will work as hard as we did earlier – and we will see what happens. Winning 31 times this season is not a question of luck but the result of our hard work. Moreover, we will not give up at this stage of the season. I think that both teams had time to rest during the last days.”
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