18/10/2011 10:29
Zenit KAZAN aims to finish on top of the standings in Pool B
2012 CEV Volleyball Champions League – Men
Kazan, Russia, October 18, 2011. In the opening match of the 2012 CEV Volleyball Champions League Zenit KAZAN plays on Wednesday the winner of the last seven editions of Germany’s Bundesliga, VfB FRIEDRICHSHAFEN.
Although they surprisingly claimed the crown in 2007, the guys from the Lake of Constance were not that successful in their recent campaigns, failing to make it out of the Pool phase last year as they were included in the so-called “group of death” that comprised TRENTINO PlanetWin365 of Italy and Poland’s PGE Skra BELCHATOW.
Last week Zenit participated in the FIVB Club World Championship in Doha, Qatar, losing in the semis to TRENTINO 1:3 (22-25, 21-25, 25-19, 14-25) before claiming the classification match against Brazil’s Sesi SAO PAULO 3:1 (19-25, 25-20, 25-23, 25-23). As a result, the team from the capital of Tatarstan won bronze as it had done two years ago while opposite Maxim Mikhaylov received the individual award for the best scorer of the tournament.
“We had a good draw” says head coach Vladimir Alekno analyzing the composition of Pool B. “We have set the maximum goal for this League Round, it means we have to finish the Pool phase on top of the standings. Our most serious rival, of course, I believe is VfB FRIEDRICHSHAFEN. This is a club with great tradition and experience”.
These teams already crossed their ways in the prelims of the Champions League back in 2008, with Zenit claiming both matches (3:2 and 3:1). Only captain Joao José – who will be missing the match in Kazan being sidelined by an injury at the moment – is still included in the roster of the German team, while Nikolay Apalikov and libero Vladislav Babichev are the sole “remains” for KAZAN since then.
US American spiker Reid Priddy recently got a surgery on his face and therefore will be playing with a special protective mask, while Yury Berezhko is nursing a little injury on his foot.
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