15/11/2016 19:30
Czech national champs look forward to second straight CL campaign
2017 CEV Volleyball Champions League - Men
Liberec, Czech Republic, November 15, 2016. Dukla LIBEREC are making this season their second straight appearance in the CEV Volleyball Champions League. The expectations are higher than last year since the roster was strengthened with the addition of two good players – Jakub Vesely and Filip Kramar. The Czech team is still coached by Michal Nekola and the captain remains Ales Spravka. Dukla will make their debut on Wednesday night playing Tiikerit KOKKOLA in Finland.
“If we beat the Finns we will move on to the next round where a group of even stronger teams than the ones we played last year are awaiting us – Asseco Resovia RZESZOW, BERLIN Recycling Volleys and Cucine Lube CIVITANOVA,” Vesely said addressing the media. “If we fail to make it through, we will move to the CEV Volleyball Cup, where maybe we would end up playing against another Czech team, ČEZ KARLOVARSKO.”
The manager of Dukla LIBEREC, Pavel Simonicek added: “This season is different, since we start from the third round of the Champions League. We are going to play Tiikerit KOKKOLA of Finland, a team that in the previous round beat the Belarusian national champions of Stroitel MINSK.”
The Finns can rely on as many as five foreign players, all of them from North America. As for Dukla, so far they have claimed three wins in six matches they have contested in the Czech national league. “Since two of our key players are injured, I think the Finns are slightly favourite in this double header,” coach Nekola said. “However, we will be prepared to fight until the end. I believe that the fans will witness two very exciting matches.”
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