Luxembourg, May 27, 2016 – The 2017 edition of the CEV Volleyball Champions League is set to be a record-breaking, pan-European and historic event with 36 men’s and 30 women’s teams from as many as 29 countries due to feature.
The re-shaping of the CEV Volleyball Champions League has already produced some outstanding results and 2017 will see an unprecedented number of countries across the whole of the continent participate.
The 2017 season will kick off with the Drawing of Lots, one of the major highlights of the 2016 European Volleyball Gala due to take place in Rome on June 9, 2016.
Men
The 12 teams seeded directly in the 4th Round were determined as per the latest European Cups Ranking List. These are:
Zenit KAZAN (RUS)
Dinamo MOSCOW (RUS)
MODENA Volley (ITA)
Cucine Lube CIVITANOVA (ITA)
Halkbank ANKARA (TUR)
ISTANBUL BBSK (TUR)
Zaksa KEDZIERZYN-KOZLE (POL)
Asseco Resovia RZESZOW (POL)
BERLIN Recycling Volleys (GER)
Knack ROESELARE (BEL)
PARIS Volley (FRA)
S.C.M. “U” CRAIOVA (ROU) *
Another 24 teams will start their campaign from the 2nd and 3rd Round as registration was open this year to the national champions of all European Federations. This stage of the competition will consist of home and away matches and feature an impressive number of teams and countries that will be making their first ever appearance in the CEV Volleyball Champions League.
The 24 teams – listed as per their NFs position in the European Cups Ranking List – are:
Belogorie BELGOROD (RUS)
Sir Safety-Sicoma PERUGIA (ITA)
Arkas IZMIR (TUR)
PGE Skra BELCHATOW (POL)
VfB FRIEDRICHSHAFEN (GER)
Noliko MAASEIK (BEL)
Arago de SETE (FRA)
Dukla LIBEREC (CZE)
PAOK THESSALONIKI (GRE)
Dobrudja 07 DOBRICH (BUL) *
Hypo Tirol INNSBRUCK (AUT)
Crvena Zvezda BEOGRAD (SRB)
Volley AMRISWIL (SUI) *
ACH Volley LJUBLJANA (SLO)
Tiikerit KOKKOLA (FIN) *
Budvanska Rivijera BUDVA (MNE)
Abiant Lycurgus GRONINGEN (NED) *
Stroitel MINSK (BLR) *
Selver TALLINN (EST) *
Hapoel MATE-ASHER AKKO (ISR) *
Mladost Marina KASTELA (CRO) *
Omonia NICOSIA (CYP) *
GENTOFTE Volley (DEN) *
KV Besa PEJA (KOS) *
*Teams making their first ever appearance in the CEV Volleyball Champions League – Men
Out of these 24, eight teams will eventually progress to complete the fourth round of 20 teams that will be playing double round robin as per the current format.
Women
The 12 teams seeded directly in the 4th Round were determined as per the latest European Cups Ranking List. These are:
VakifBank ISTANBUL (TUR)
Fenerbahce SK ISTANBUL (TUR)
Dinamo MOSCOW (RUS)
Uralochka-NTMK EKATERINBURG (RUS)
Chemik POLICE (POL)
Azerrail BAKU (AZE)
Telekom BAKU (AZE)
ST-RAPHAËL Var VB (FRA) *
Imoco Volley CONEGLIANO (ITA)
DRESDNER SC (GER)
Volero ZÜRICH (SUI)
CS Volei Alba BLAJ (ROU)
Another 18 teams will start their campaign from the 1st Round. This as well as the 2nd and 3rd round of the competition will consist of home and away matches and feature a number of teams and countries that will be making their first ever appearance in the CEV Volleyball Champions League.
The 18 teams – listed as per their NFs position in the European Cups Ranking List – are:
Eczacibasi VitrA ISTANBUL (TUR)
Dinamo KRASNODAR (RUS) *
MKS DABROWA GORNICZA (POL)
RC CANNES (FRA)
Liu Jo Nordmeccanica MODENA (ITA)
Agel PROSTEJOV (CZE)
Vizura BEOGRAD (SRB)
HPK HÄMEENLINNA (FIN) *
Khimik YUZHNY (UKR) *
Calcit LJUBLJANA (SLO)
Maccabi XT HAIFA (ISR) *
ZOK Bimal-Jedinstvo BRČKO (BIH) *
Minchanka MINSK (BLR) *
Linamar-BEKESCSABAI RSE (HUN) *
Maritza PLOVDIV (BUL) *
Luka BAR (MNE) *
KOHILA VC (EST) *
KV Drita GJILAN (KOS) *
*Teams making their first ever appearance in the CEV Volleyball Champions League – Women
Out of these 18 teams, four will eventually progress to complete the fourth round of 16 teams that will be playing a double round robin as per the already known League Round format. In another change from recent years, there will be no Playoffs 12 in the women’s competition.
The 2017 edition will also bring a new official competition hashtag: the generic #CLVolley, as well as #CLVolleyM and #CLVolleyW to be used for the men’s and women’s competition, respectively.