Rezé, France, February 11, 2014.  This is a challenging week for the team of NANTES Rezé Métropole – not only because on Wednesday night it has a crucial quarterfinal match in the 2014 CEV Volleyball Challenge Cup - Men tournament, but also of the West of France derby against RENNES Volley 35 on Saturday.

But taking it one step at a time, NANTES’ players will entertain Serbia’s Crvena Zvezda BEOGRAD tomorrow night at its "fetish" Arthur Dugast competition hall in Rezé, a neighboring city of Nantes.  This is the decisive second leg of the duel after the French side managed an away 3:1 win in the first leg last week.  The tight result from the last set in Belgrade (26-24) shows that NANTES’ qualification for the semifinals is far from a done deal.

The opportunity to play in the semifinals is a kind of dream, but also a vertigo for a club participating in European competition for the first time ever.  But after overcoming Russia’s Fakel NOVY URENGOY in December and Finland’s Tiikerit KOKKOLA in January, in the month of February anything is possible.

After six victories in a row in the French domestic league, NANTES was defeated by AC CANNES last Saturday.  What will be the team’s state of body and mind on Wednesday evening remains to be seen as all volleyball fans from Nantes and Rezé keep their fingers crossed and hope for the best.

The match starts at 20:30 local time at the Arthur Dugast competition hall in Rezé.