Polish derby to light up the Atlas Arena in Łódź in the second semi-final of the #CLVolleyM Final Four

Will it be Jastrzębski Węgiel’s third consecutive final in the CEV Champions League or Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie will secure their maiden appearance in the last act of the European premium competition?

The jury is still out about the verdict, until the end of the second semi-final of this Final Four, but one thing is certain: there are plenty of twists and turns and a lot of drama expected in the Atlas Arena in Łódź, when the two Polish powerhouses will collide for the chance to fight for the title against Sir Sicoma Monini Perugia.

Ask any of the players from the two sides and they will share the same story: the two teams know each other well, having met most recently on 13 April, in the final of the Polish Cup, where Jastrzębski Węgiel took a 3:1 (18:25; 25:22; 25:22; 30:28) win against Zawiercie.

However, after a long and grueling season, this match will be make-or-break for both sides, as Jastrzębski Węgiel and Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie finished fourth and second respectively in the Polish league and are looking for their maiden title in the European premium competition.

In the experience department, Jastrzębski Węgiel have the advantage, having played two finals, both lost, in the past two seasons of the CEV Champions League Men. However, they have conceded a loss, 2:3, against Olympiacos Piraeus, in the first leg of the quarter-finals, but followed it up with a clear 3:0 win on their home court.

So far, Jastrzębski have conceded seven sets, but have a star-studded line-up, with Tomasz Fornal as the spearhead, as the Polish star will play his last two matches for the team he called home over the past six years.

“It will be special for me, because I will leave at the end of the season after six years. Therefore, winning the Champions League title for the first time would be a very nice ending to this chapter and to this story,” said Fornal.

The two sides have met 10 times in the last 18 months, with Zawiercie winning six of those matches. But only three of those 10 mutual encounters finished in straight sets, setting up a crunch clash between two of Poland’s powerhouses in the Atlas Arena in Łódź.

So far, Zawiercie are the only side to not have dropped any match, as their second season in the European premium competition has been flawless, with eight wins in eight matches.

And if history is to work their way, they will make it nine out of nine, as Jastrzębski have lost their last five Champions League matches against Polish opposition, all against Zaksa Kedzierzyn-Kozle.

“We play against Jastrzębski Węgiel in the semi-final, we know them very well from our domestic competitions, we lost the Cup against them a month ago, but we will be very motivated. We are excited and we want to show what we are made of,” said the Zawiercie captain, Michal Bieniek.