Novara back in Champions League, poker of Italians

After a two-year absence, which saw the Azzurri triumph first in the Challenge Cup and then in the CEV Cup, Igor Volley returns to the highest continental stage, that of the Champions League. The blue club has been awarded one of two wild cards for the next edition, which will therefore see all of four Italian teams at the start.

The decision of the CEV, the European volleyball confederation, to reintroduce wild cards was aimed at strengthening the prestige of the competition, and the criteria behind the selection were transparent and well-defined, as well as shared beforehand with all parties involved and including – among others – sporting merit, tradition, the value of the roster set up and the seriousness and organizational capacity of the club.

“In the end,” reads the official CEV communiqué, “the Council chose a balance between the competitiveness of the matches and the commercial potential of the competition both at the European level and beyond, taking into account the target market of the candidate clubs and their respective countries of origin. This decision aims to lay the foundation for a Champions League that not only guarantees technical excellence but also represents the diversity of the European volleyball landscape in a strategic and forward-looking way. This is complemented by the presence of the best teams according to the CEV European ranking. The five selected clubs (two in the women’s and three in the men’s, ed.) boast high-level resumes and demonstrate ambition for growth and quality over the long term. They come from key markets for European volleyball, have solid and expanding fan bases, and strong appeal to sponsors and partners.”

Igor Volleyball will enter the game in the fourth round of the Champions League, the group stage, and at the draw on July 15 (12 noon, at the CEV headquarters in Luxembourg) will be placed like Zeren Spor Ankara (the other women’s team that received a wild card) in the fourth bracket.