#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 negative 4-5 win-loss Champions League record against Turkish clubs.
Savino Del Bene come into the match on the back of a league victory over Omag-Mt San Giovanni in Marignano: the win against the Romagna-based side marked their victory no. 24 of the season and their 15th consecutive success across Serie A1, the Coppa Italia, the CEV Champions League and the FIVB Club World Championship.
Savino Del Bene have faced Turkish teams on 15 occasions, with a positive record standing at nine wins and six losses.
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.
With Marie Andriamaherizo unavailable, Volero activated a medical wild card with the arrival of Ljubica Milojevic. This player will strengthen the team at a key moment in the season. Volero currently sits in fifth place in the standings of the French Saforelle Power 6 national league. This strategic position allows the club to remain fully involved in the race for the playoffs, with high ambitions for the rest of the season. This month is especially intense and demanding for Volero with as many as eight matches across the domestic league and European competitions. This sustained pace will test the physical, mental, and tactical management of the squad, while offering numerous opportunities to demonstrate the character and depth of the team. Despite a busy schedule and several squad adjustments, the group is showing exemplary cohesion and spirit, with a visible improvement in performance with each game. The daily commitment of the staff and players is reflected in an increasingly assertive playing identity.
Marco Fenoglio, head coach of Volero LE CANNET: “This week, we will re-start our Champions League campaign. I think that, like all the other matches that we play, the same this week against Alba BLAJ will be a really difficult match for us. They are a very good team. They played very good against VakifBank. For us, it is like always a big chance to have a high-level game that we do not have in our national championship. It is very good for our process to become stronger. We will try to fight and, as always, do our best.”
Aida Dautova, player of Volero: “I am really excited to play this Champions League match because every game is special and fun in its own way. Of course, it’s a bit challenging to get back into rhythm after the holidays, but we have been working hard and we are ready to show our best. Our fans are always incredibly supportive, and since this will be a home match, it is especially great to feel their support here at home - so I invite everyone to come and cheer for us.”
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. However, the team coached by Lorenzo Bernardi recently got a huge boost of energy as they beat Numia Vero Volley MILANO 3-1 in the quarterfinals of the Italian national cup contested on December 30.
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).
This is the first #CLVolleyW match to be played at Pavilhão Fidelidade in Lisbon.
Henrique Furtado Pereira, head coach of Benfica: “Igor Gorgonzola NOVARA is a complete team, with very experienced, technical and physical players. Our ambition must be high.”
Igor Gorgonzola NOVARA will not be able to count on Taylor Mims and Indy Baijens, as they are both recovering from slight injuries. The Italians just signed the Belgian national team middle-blocker Silke Van Avermaet, who joined the team on Monday and will be eligible for the game in Portugal. She spent the first half of the season in Busto Arsizio.
Silke Van Avermaet, middle blocker of Igor Gorgonzola NOVARA: “I am very glad to be here, playing for such a professional and prestigious club and I am honoured to join the best international competition for clubs, the CEV Champions League. It is always great to compete on the highest level, measure yourself with the best teams and players from other leagues - and we want to be fully competitive in this event. We will have to display our best game to achieve a good result in Lisbon and this is exactly what we aim to do.”
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).
In Istanbul, Vero Volley will face a reunion with the past, as they will find familiar faces on the other side of the net: there are four former players in the match, all playing for Eczacibasi, with Dana Rettke, Kathryn Plummer, and opposites Magdalena Stysiak and Anna Smrek having previously all worn the pink and blue colours.
Stefano Lavarini, head coach of Numia Vero Volley MILANO: “The match against Eczacibasi will be an exciting and important challenge for the pool standings: we are ready to face a very physical and aggressive opponent, driven by their passionate home crowd. We will have to play a high-level game, emphasising our attacking qualities above all else. It will also be very important to push harder on our serve to make our improving block-defence more effective, in order to create fundamental opportunities on the counterattack.”
Eleonora Fersino, libero of Numia Vero Volley MILANO: “It will be a tough challenge against a strong, solid, and very physical team. We know that it will be a very important match for the standings, probably the most difficult in the group, so we will have to try to be aggressive right from the start, starting with the serve, to try to cause them troubles in reception. We will have to be patient in attack, which is fundamental, and we will have to be good at finding different solutions and shots. We will be playing on a difficult court, we know the atmosphere and the fans in Türkiye: it will be exciting and great to play a game like this.”
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).
Daniele Santarelli, head coach of CONEGLIANO: “We started the year this past Sunday with a tough win at the Palaverde in the Italian League against a great opponent like Igor Gorgonzola NOVARA. It was the first match of a long series of fixtures that we will face in this very intense month across the domestic league, the Champions League, and the Italian Cup. Among these very important matches is Wednesday’s fixture in Poland. This is our first time facing this Polish team, who have excellent players and a system that should not be underestimated. The Champions League is a uniquely fascinating competition, it is one of our most desired goals, and after starting the year well in the Italian league, we want to get off in Poland to a good start in Europe as well.”
Adrian Chyliński, head coach of ŁKS Commercecon ŁÓDŹ: “It will be a great honour for us to play against the most successful team in Europe in recent years. It is a huge motivation for our players, and also a motivation to show ourselves from our best side on the European stage. It will be a tough match, because fighting on equal terms against CONEGLIANO will be a challenge, especially for our team given various health issues. However, we will step onto the court, give everything we have, and above all enjoy this game, because this is not an everyday kind of match – you don’t get to play against the best team in the world all the time. For us and for the players, it will be something truly special.”
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.
Stevan Ljubicic, head coach of ANKARA Zeren Spor Kulübü: “As we return from a short break, we are currently working to regain our full rhythm following a recent performance against VakifBank that did not fully satisfy me. Our goal is to continue improving our form and to utilise our home-court advantage to achieve another victory. Although our opponent plays a different style of Volleyball focused heavily on defence and transition, I believe that our individual quality is on our side. As long as we play close to our true level and rely on our strategy, I am confident that we will get one more win.”
Alexander Waibl, head coach of DRESDNER SC: “They are a team with much depth, a lot of power and physicality. They hit hard and are very compact overall. We want to be ready when our opponents give us some chances. Above all, our goal is to take important insights with us for the home game.”
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.
Felix Koslowski, head coach of SCHWERIN: “Developres are clearly the top favourites in our group. They have international top players on every position and dominate the Polish league. We go into this match as the underdogs, but that is the role we want to take. At home, with an aggressive mindset and the support of a full arena, we want to put them under pressure and maybe create a special European night.”
Vedrana Jakšetić, setter of SSC Palmberg: “After a short break, we returned fully motivated for Thursday’s match. From the very first point, our focus will be on playing a clean and disciplined game. It is always a pleasure to face strong teams in our home arena, and we hope to see it packed once again. We expect KS Developres to bring great fighting spirit and strong resistance, which should guarantee a high-level Volleyball match. Of course, our goal is to continue our winning run in the Champions League and secure a strong position in the group.”
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.
Ahmetcan Ersimsek, head coach of Maritza PLOVDIV: “The upcoming match is very important for us in view of our goal, which is to finish second or third in the pool. But even if we lose, we will still have a chance, because in our pool anyone can beat anyone. What I would like to see is everyone fighting and giving their best. That will give us a good chance to win. It's very important to improve the performance of our players and this type of matches are always good for that. We will do everything we can to win. We will fight. The key to victory will be to be more concentrated and make fewer mistakes than them.”
Lora Slavcheva, setter of Maritza: “We are very well prepared tactically and I hope we can show what we train for. Communication on the court is extremely important for us, because that way the girls perform their tasks better. The more we help each other, the better we play in the matches. For me, the audience is a very important part of the team and a very valuable one. I thank them for coming to support us at every game.”