Familiar Faces And New Names In This Season’s CEV Champions League Volley

Some familiar faces are joined by some fresh ones as this season’s CEV Champions League Volley campaign draws near.

One of the most successful teams in recent seasons has been Jastrzębski Węgiel. The Polish side has finished as runners-up in each of the last two editions of the Champions League and come into the 2024/25 season, their 26th, looking to go one better and claim their first-ever title.

There are plenty of teams in this year’s Champions League who have won titles, but you might be surprised to find out which team tops them all for most titles.

Greek side Olympiacos Piraeus hold that honour with three titles to their name. They have also competed in the most editions of the Champions League of all teams involved in the competition this year, entering their 48th season in the competition.

Italians Sir Sicoma Monini Perugia are entering their 13th Champions League season and have reached the semifinals in each of their last three appearances. In fact, in their last six appearances, they have only fallen before the semifinals once.

The other two Italian sides in the competition, Vero Volley Monza and Allianz Milano, are both coming into their fourth Champions League, and both teams boast one title. The Italians will all be desperate to add to their solitary titles, but they are matched by their biggest rivals.

The last five editions of the Champions League have been won by either Italian or Polish sides, and lining up alongside Jastrzębski Węgiel from Poland are Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie and PGE Projekt Warszawa. Both teams have featured in the competition recently, without any great success, but both teams do have a title to their names in the past, and will be looking to vie for the top spot once more.

Some teams in the competition are stalwarts, featuring almost every year. In fact, two teams have featured in every edition of the Champions League since 2012. Berlin Recycling Volleys from Germany and Belgian team Knack Roeselare have a long history in the competition, and you will see their names in the vast majority of editions. Between the two sides, they have competed in 73 Champions Leagues and have both claimed a title.

Knack Roeselare are joined by a Belgian side with an even longer history in the competition. Greenyard Maaseik have contested 41 Champions Leagues, but are yet to claim a title.

The other German sides in the competition, in stark contrast to Berlin Recycling Volleys, are very new to the competition. SVG Luneburg competed last year and this will be their fifth time in the top European competition, and they are joined by Helios Grizzlys Giesen who have 1 title from their three Champions League appearances.

Two other nations, Turkey and France, also have two teams in the competition, and they are contrasting in terms of their histories. French sides Saint-Nazaire VB Atlantique and Chaumont VB 52 have contested a total of 13 Champions Leagues, most recently when Chaumont reached the quarterfinals in 2019. Meanwhile, Turkish sides Fenerbahce Medicana Istanbul and Halkbank Ankara have competed in 19 and 27 Champions Leagues respectively.

Fenerbahce are back in the competition having last competed in 2022, meanwhile Ankara have been performing well recently, reaching the semifinals in 2023 and the quarterfinals last year.

The final four teams competing this year are their nations’ sole representatives, and they all have a detailed history in the Champions League.

Czech side Jihostroj Ceske Budejovice are in their 30th Champions League season, though they are still on the hunt for their first title. Last year they returned for the first time since 2020 but fell in the pools.

Slovenia’s ACH Volley Ljubljana do boast a Champions League title in their 24 Champions League seasons, but have struggled in recent years, last making it out of the Pool Stage in 2013.

Austrians Hypo Tirol Innsbruck can also lay claim to a Champions League title, and are back in the competition for the first time since 2016.

Lastly, Levski Sofia of Bulgaria. It has been some time since they have graced the Champions League, last competing in 2007, but will be looking to make their mark back on the biggest stage in Europe.

Whether teams have well-established pasts or are fresh faces in the competition, all sights will be set firmly on this season's Champions League title.