07/06/2018 11:00
Drawing of Lots sets tone for exciting #EuroLeagueM / #EuroLeagueW Finals
2018 CEV Volleyball European League - Men & Women
Luxembourg, June 7, 2018. After six rounds of pool play, the 2018 edition of the CEV Volleyball European League will be reaching its climax next week with as many as four Final Four tournaments across as many venues. Volleyball fans can now look forward to some exciting fixtures following the Drawing of Lots for the semis held on Thursday morning at the CEV headquarters in Luxembourg. The events in Karlovy Vary, Budapest, Skopje and Nyköping will crown the eventual winners of the Golden and Silver tiers – but there is even more at stake, including two spots in the inaugural FIVB Challenger Cup for those contesting the Golden Finals in Karlovy Vary and Budapest.
Golden European League – Men
The Final Four will be taking place in Karlovy Vary (CZE) on June 13-14, 2018. After recording five wins in their pool, 2016 European League gold medal winners Estonia will be playing Pool C winners Portugal in the semis while hosts Czech Republic will take on Turkey in the other semi-final. Turkey were the first side to qualify for the Final Four – and finished their campaign in Pool B on a record of four wins and two losses. Their two losses came at a time they had already secured their participation in the Finals.
The winners and runners-up of the Final Four will contest the inaugural FIVB Challenger Cup together with another four teams from other continents. The eventual winners of the Challenger Cup will replace the lowest-ranked ‘challenger’ in the 2019 edition of the FIVB Volleyball Nations League.
Golden European League – Women
The Final Four will be taking place in Budapest (HUN) on June 14-15, 2018 in what is going to be some kind of a rehearsal ahead of the 2019 women’s EuroVolley. Hungary will be co-hosting next year’s continental showpiece together with Turkey, Poland and Slovakia.
After recording six wins in a row in their pool, the Czech Republic will play hosts Hungary in the second semi-final. Earlier on Thursday, June 14, Bulgaria will lock horns with Finland after these teams finished on top of the standing in Pool A and B, respectively. Finland are the silver medal winners from the 2017 European League, while Hungary won the 2015 edition.
The winners and runners-up of the Final Four will contest the inaugural FIVB Challenger Cup together with another four teams from other continents. The eventual winners of the Challenger Cup will replace the lowest-ranked ‘challenger’ in the 2019 edition of the FIVB Volleyball Nations League.
Silver European League – Men
After taking three silver medals in a row in the competition, the Former Y.R. of Macedonia will be trying to use the home-court advantage in Skopje to improve on that record. They will first play Croatia in the semis on June 15 after Belarus and Latvia clash in the first semi-final. Latvia completed their journey in Pool A with six wins in as many matches – the only men’s team to boast such a record in this year’s European League.
The eventual winners of the Silver European League will replace the lowest ranked team from the 2018 Golden European League in the 2019 edition of that same competition.
Silver European League – Women
Hosts Sweden will be playing Albania in the first semi-final of the Silver #EuroLeagueW Finals in Nyköping, before Estonia and Austria clash for the other spot in the gold medal match.
As with the men, the eventual winners of the Silver European League will replace the lowest ranked team from the 2018 Golden European League in the 2019 edition of that same competition.
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