#CLVolleyW returns with ‘Clashes of the Titans’ to start the year with a bang!
Preview
Two spine-tingling matchups featuring elite teams from Italy and Türkiye will draw the most attention when #CLVolleyW action resumes on January 6 after the break due to the holiday season. The recently crowned Club World Champions Savino Del Bene SCANDICCI will be hosting VakifBank ISTANBUL in a repeat of last year’s semi-final – which the players coached by Marco Gaspari sensationally claimed in straight sets. Eczacibasi Dynavit ISTANBUL will be trying to bounce back from their loss at the hands of Olympiacos PIRAEUS back in December when they welcome Numia Vero Volley MILANO – with Paola Egonu & Co. travelling to Istanbul on the back of a 3-1 victory over #CLVolleyW titleholders A. Carraro Prosecco DOC CONEGLIANO in the latest round of the Italian national league contested before 2025 ended. These are only two of as many as ten mouth-watering fixtures making sure that the year 2026 will start with a real bang!
Pool A
Savino Del Bene SCANDICCI (ITA) vs. VakifBank ISTANBUL (TUR)
With these elite teams recording two wins in as many matches they have contested this far, the leadership in the pool will be at stake on Thursday night in Florence. The newly crowned Club World Champions, Savino Del Bene SCANDICCI have won two of their three Champions League matches against VakifBank ISTANBUL, including their 3-0 victory in last season’s semi-final. Ekaterina Antropova scored 17 points for the Italians in that match.
The other Champions League encounters between these teams came in the 2019/2020 group phase. Back then, Savino Del Bene SCANDICCI won 3-2 away and lost 0-3 at home.
In recent years, Marco Gaspari also faced Giovanni Guidetti’s VakifBank ISTANBUL in 2021/2022 (recording two losses while at the helm of Vero Volley MONZA in the group stage), 2022/2023 quarterfinals (two defeats with Vero Volley MILANO) and 2023/2024 (one win and one loss with Allianz Vero Volley MILANO in Round 4).
Interestingly, VakifBank ISTANBUL have lost their last three Champions League matches against Italian clubs (all contested in 2025). They have not lost four Champions League encounters in a row versus Italian opposition since they recorded as many as 12 successive defeats from 2000/2001 to 2008/2009. On the other hand, Savino Del Bene SCANDICCI have a slightly positive 5-4 win-loss Champions League record against Turkish clubs.
Volero LE CANNET (FRA) vs. CS Volei Alba BLAJ (ROU)
Still searching for their first victory in this year’s competition, CS Volei Alba BLAJ and Volero LE CANNET have met six times in the Champions League, sharing three wins apiece. The Romanians’ victories include two wins against Rocheville LE CANNET (3-1, 3-1) in the 2015/2016 group phase. The last time these teams faced each other in the Champions League was in the 2023/2024 group phase, when the French side won 3-2 away and lost 0-3 at home.
CS Volei Alba BLAJ are the only Romanian team Volero LE CANNET have faced in the Champions League. CS Volei Alba BLAJ defeated Volero LE CANNET in the quarterfinals of the 2022 CEV Cup (3-0 at home, 3-2 in the return match). Overall, CS Volei Alba BLAJ have a negative 4-6 win-loss Champions League record against French opposition.
Pool B
PGE Budowlani ŁÓDŹ (POL) vs. Fenerbahçe Medicana ISTANBUL (TUR)
Pool leaders Fenerbahçe Medicana ISTANBUL and PGE Budowlani ŁÓDŹ have been drawn in the same pool for the third successive season, and for the fourth time in total (it previously happened in 2019/2020, 2023/2024, and 2024/2025). Fenerbahçe has won all six Champions League encounters with PGE Budowlani ŁÓDŹ this far, conceding only one set in the process. Last season, Fenerbahçe won such fixtures 3-0 at home and 3-1 away.
All these matches were contested in Round 4. If they were to extend their winning streak, Fenerbahçe Medicana ISTANBUL would add a piece of history to their ever-growing list of Champions League feats since the Yellow Angels have never claimed seven Champions League wins against the same opponent. On the other hand, PGE Budowlani ŁÓDŹ have never suffered seven Champions League defeats to the same club.
Fenerbahçe have won 19 of their last 20 Champions League matches against Polish opposition. The exception was a 1-3 defeat versus ŁKS Commercecon ŁÓDŹ in the 2022/2023 group phase. On the other hand, PGE Budowlani ŁÓDŹ have a 0-12 Champions League record against Turkish teams, with all such losses coming in the group phase. Eight of these 12 defeats were in straight sets. Will they be able to turn the tide when they host Fenerbahçe on Tuesday late afternoon?
Sport LISBOA e Benfica (POR) vs. Igor Gorgonzola NOVARA (ITA)
Wildcard holders and 2019 #CLVolleyW winners Igor Gorgonzola NOVARA have never faced a Portuguese opponent in the Champions League. These teams share the same record of one win and one loss this far in the pool following completion of two rounds of action. Before the holiday season, the ‘Eagles’ of Benfica – who are making their first appearance in the #CLVolleyW group stage – recorded their first historic victory in Round 4 when they emerged victorious from a tiebreaker with PGE Budowlani ŁÓDŹ, whereas NOVARA suffered a resounding 0-3 loss at the hands of Fenerbahçe.
Historically, Portuguese clubs have lost all four Champions League encounters with Italian teams in straight sets. Last season, FC PORTO lost both games against Numia Vero Volley MILANO without taking any set. Moreover, last year Sport LISBOA e Benfica were eliminated by Italy’s Reale Mutua Fenera CHIERI ’76 in the quarterfinals of the Challenge Cup (1-3, 0-3).
Pool C
Eczacibasi Dynavit ISTANBUL (TUR) vs. Numia Vero Volley MILANO (ITA)
This is another ‘blockbuster’ of a match featuring elite teams from Türkiye and Italy. The only Champions League encounters between Eczacibasi and Numia Vero Volley MILANO came in last season’s quarterfinals, when the Italians won both matches in straight sets to secure their progression to the Final Four. MILANO recently ended Prosecco DOC CONEGLIANO’s winning streak in the Italian national league when they delighted their home crowd on December 27 by securing a 3-1 victory over the ‘Panthers’. This was their second such success over the most dominant team of the 2024/2025 season after back in October MILANO had won the Italian Supercup as well.
Overall, Numia Vero Volley MILANO have a 6-7 win-loss (excluding Golden Set) Champions League record against Turkish clubs, but they have won their last four encounters with Turkish teams. As Saugella MONZA, the Italians won the 2021 CEV Cup Final against Turkish side Galatasaray HDI ISTANBUL.
On the other hand, Eczacibasi have a 13-27 win-loss (excluding Golden Set) Champions League record against Italian clubs. However, they have lost their last four encounters against Italian teams. If we review the history of the competition, Eczacibasi won the 2015 edition after delivering a stunning performance against Italian club Unendo Yamamay BUSTO ARSIZIO in the gold medal match. The Turkish team also won the Final of the Club World Championship against another Italian side, Pomì CASALMAGGIORE in October 2016.
Coaches Giulio Bregoli and Stefano Lavarini worked together as part of Davide Mazzanti’s staff at Norda Foppapedretti BERGAMO in 2010/2011. Their paths crossed also at the 2025 FIVB World Championship, where Stefano Lavarini’s Poland defeated Giulio Bregoli’s Germany 3-2 in the pool phase (19-17 in the fifth set). Both teams were later eliminated by eventual World champions Italy (Germany in the Last 16 and Poland in the quarterfinals).
Olympiacos PIRAEUS (GRE) vs. OK Železničar LAJKOVAC (SRB)
The matchup at Melina Merkouri sports hall in Rentis involves two rookies featuring in the group stage of the competition for the very first time. This is also the first time OK Železničar LAJKOVAC and Olympiacos PIRAEUS face each other in any European competition. Olympiacos return to the #CLVolleyW stage after a sensational 3-2 victory over Eczacibasi in the last round of action completed before the holiday season. On Thursday, January 8, they will be trying to redeem their losses (2-3, 0-3) to Serbia’s ZOK UB in the 2021/2022 third qualifying round. This matchup will be somehow special for Olympiacos mentor Branko Kovacevic, who was the coach of OK Železničar LAJKOVAC from 2020/2021 to 2023/2024.
Pool D
ŁKS Commercecon ŁÓDŹ (POL) vs. A. Carraro Prosecco DOC CONEGLIANO (ITA)
The current leaders of the Italian national league, A. Carraro Prosecco DOC CONEGLIANO have a perfect record of two wins from their two previous Champions League matches against ŁKS Commercecon ŁÓDŹ. The ‘Panthers’ did not drop a single set when they played the Polish team in the 2018/2019 group phase. The Italians conceded only 37 points in their 3-0 home win against the Polish side that season (25-10, 25-12, 25-15). This is the fewest points they have conceded in any Champions League match in the main phase of the competition. At the same time, this figure accounts also for the fewest points ŁKS Commercecon ŁÓDŹ have managed to score in a Champions League match.
The three-time #CLVolleyW winners, A. Carraro Prosecco DOC CONEGLIANO have a massive 13-1 win-loss record against Polish clubs in the Champions League, including winning their last 12 encounters in a row. Their only loss was a 2-3 defeat against Chemik POLICE in the 2016/2017 group phase – which came very much at the beginning of their European journey.
ŁKS Commercecon ŁÓDŹ are yet to record a single win against Italian clubs in the Champions League. Last season, they were eliminated by eventual winners Igor Gorgonzola NOVARA in the 8th Finals of the CEV Cup (0-3, 0-3).
ANKARA Zeren Spor Kulübü (TUR) vs. DRESDNER SC (GER)
Germany’s vice-champions and the wildcard holders from Türkiye’s capital city have never crossed their paths before in international competition. ANKARA are making their very first appearance in the CEV European Cups, whereas DRESDNER SC have returned to the #CLVolleyW stage for the first time since the 2021/2022 season. They share the same win-loss record in the pool so far (1-1) – therefore, the result of this fixture is highly important to determine their chances of further progression in the competition.
DRESDNER SC have a highly negative 1-11 win-loss record against Turkish clubs in the Champions League. Their only victory came against Fenerbahce Grundig ISTANBUL in the return match of the Playoffs 12 in the 2014/2015 season, but their 3-2 success could not make up for an earlier 0-3 loss in the previous matchup with the Yellow Angels.
Pool E
SSC Palmberg SCHWERIN (GER) vs. KS Developres RZESZÓW (POL)
The multiple German national champions coached by Felix Koslowski return to the #CLVolleyW stage after the holiday season as the only side in Pool E with an immaculate record of two wins in as many matches contested this far. As they host their Polish counterparts, they will be trying to capitalise on the outcome of previous such fixtures played in the 2020/2021 group phase, when they won twice (3-1, 3-2) over their next rivals and pre-favourites in the group.
KS Developres RZESZÓW will be seeking redemption after losing to LEVALLOIS PARIS Saint Cloud back in December, knowing they have won five of their eight Champions League matches against German teams. The first two of these games were the two aforementioned fixtures versus SSC Palmberg SCHWERIN in the 2020/2021 group stage. The Polish side has won five of their subsequent six encounters with German teams. Last season, Developres beat Allianz MTV STUTTGART 3-1 and 3-0 in the Playoff round, including a 45-43 score in the third set of the 3-1 victory.
Current Pool E leaders SSC Palmberg SCHWERIN have a 3-3 win-loss record against Polish clubs in the Champions League. They lost their first three encounters, but they won their subsequent three matches. Their 3-1 and 3-2 wins against Developres SkyRes RZESZÓW in 2020/2021 were the most recent such matches.
Maritza PLOVDIV (BUL) vs. LEVALLOIS PARIS Saint Cloud (FRA)
After their historic home victory over KS Developres RZESZÓW back in December (click here for further information), LEVALLOIS PARIS Saint Cloud will face Bulgarian opposition for the first time in the Champions League. The still winless players of Maritza PLOVDIV, recently crowned Bulgarian national cup winners for the ninth straight time (click here), have a 2-6 win-loss record in the Champions League against French clubs. Their two wins came against BEZIERS VB (3-1) in the 2018/2019 group phase and versus RC CANNES (3-1) in Round 4 a year later.