22/10/2018 13:00
Czech fans look forward to historic #CLVolleyM debut for ČEZ KARLOVARSKO
News from the clubs
Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic, October 22, 2018. As the FIVB Men’s World Championship in Italy and Bulgaria has shown, the fans are the factor, which can turn Volleyball matches into a truly unforgettable experience. The supporters of the teams competing in the top tier of the Czech national league have spent the last few months dreaming of success for their favourite players in the still young 2018-2019 season and kept preparing for the challenges ahead.
The excitement is growing all around Europe and this applies especially to those supporting the reigning Czech national champions, VK ČEZ KARLOVARSKO. The club from the spa city of Karlovy Vary is going to face a completely new challenge this year, namely their debut in the elite CEV Volleyball Champions League.
The club was founded four years ago especially thanks to the extraordinary efforts made by former Czech national team player Jakub Novotny. For the first few years, the team relied mainly on several foreign players, but nowadays it has a solid youth programme as well and a well-structured organisation.
Right from the early days, every match of KARLOVARSKO has been an astonishing event. This is mainly thanks to their fans. The management has kept preparing special actions during the matches, investing in several PR campaigns and setting up even a bouncy castle for the children in the hall. Thanks to the support of their fans and a real team chemistry, VK ČEZ KARLOVARSKO achieved significant success by winning the Czech National League title in the 2017-2018 season, thus qualifying for the 2019 edition of the CEV Volleyball Champions League. The spectators can therefore look forward to matches of the best European club competition and this perspective has been sparking much excitement among the local fans.
The expectations are high, but the club will also have to solve some technical challenges to be able to play in the elite competition, as they move to a different venue where they will be hosting their home matches. The Realistic Arena with its 6,000 seats will bring additional emotions for the fans, a great experience for the players and new opportunities for the club as well. According to the club’s president, Jakub Novotny, the hall is maybe even too large for the purposes of such a young Volleyball club. As he says, “We are aware of the size of the hall and therefore we will put an extraordinary effort to sell all the tickets out. We are preparing a special PR campaign for the Champions League matches, our “traditional” show will be running during the matches and we would love to involve some school classes as well to enjoy the unique atmosphere.”
Karlovy Vary turned in the last few years to a sports city, where the fans are giving a special taste to all matches. These same fans cannot wait for December 19 when VK ČEZ KAROVARSKO will contest their first home match in the group stage of the world’s most prestigious Volleyball club competition.
Many thanks to Tadeáš Bajusz for contributing to this article.
Pictures courtesy of VK ČEZ KARLOVARSKO.
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