25/03/2019 21:00
Galatasaray and TRENTINO ready for #CEVCupM final showdown
2019 CEV Volleyball Cup - Men
Istanbul, Turkey, March 25, 2019. Galatasaray ISTANBUL have a mountain to climb on Tuesday night when they host TRENTINO Itas in the ‘grand finale’ of the 2019 CEV Volleyball Cup – Men after their heavy 0-3 loss last week in Italy at the hands of the reigning world champions. TRENTINO, on the other hand, are only two sets away from securing the only international trophy still missing from their collection.
• Galatasaray Sports Club, founded in 1905, is one of Turkey’s legendary clubs. They have as many as eight branches and count on some 30 million fans across the globe.
• Their head coach Nedim Özbey has been working with the men’s team for four years.
• Galatasaray caused a little sensation in the semis by eliminating Russia’s Kuzbass KEMEROVO.
• The organisers expect a large crowd for this matchup at the 7,500-seat Burhan Felek Volleyball Hall.
• TRENTINO Itas are the reigning club world champions and three-time winners of the CEV Champions League. They lost the 2015 and 2017 CEV Cup Finals at the Golden Set to Dinamo MOSCOW and TOURS VB, respectively.
• Some 50 supporters of TRENTINO have travelled to Istanbul to root for their heroes.
• This is the fifth match played in Turkey by TRENTINO – the last one in Istanbul back in March 2017 ended in a 2-3 loss to Fenerbahce in the semis of the CEV Cup, yet TRENTINO made it to the final.
• It is the seventh European Cup final for TRENTINO – and their 12th in international competitions. TRENTINO have played 123 matches in the European Cups this far with a record of 99 wins and 24 losses.
Nedim Özbey, head coach of Galatasaray: “Since the beginning of the season, we knew we would clash with Kuzbass KEMEROVO in the semi-finals. We somehow left the impression that we would fight for a spot in the final right from the first set of the first matchup with Kuzbass. Most people around me did not believe in our chances, but I knew we would go for the final. I made my team believe it too. We made history with the help of many children attending that match and that made us incredibly happy. TRENTINO is a very good team. We lost 3-0 in the first game but we know we can come back as much as we did after losing in Russia to Kuzbass. I believe in my team. We focus exclusively on this match and on achieving the Golden Set. Our goal is to bring a major international success to our country and our club.”
Selcuk Keskin, team captain of Galatasaray: “Last week we had a very tough schedule. There was fatigue from the national cup finals and match in Italy but we rested in the best way. We are ready for this game. We want to play very well and win the trophy. We believe in our chances as a team. We know our opponent is very strong but in the final, both teams are equal. We expect much support from our fans. We are going to be the eventual champions, as we want that.”
Angelo Lorenzetti, head coach of TRENTINO Itas: “We have an important advantage because we won the first match 3-0, so we feel a little more comfortable. We had a similar situation two years ago and what happened in Tours should have taught us a good lesson. I think my team will do everything they can to seize the night and we feel ready to win the trophy. We expect a completely different match in a very ‘hot’ arena. This is the real final and we must take on it with the right approach in order not to repeat what happened to us two years ago in France.”
|