OPENING MATCHES ATTRACTED A WIDE AUDIENCE

Indesit European Champions' League 2004/05

Luxembourg, November 3, 2004. With the first five matches of the Men’s Indesit European Championships 2004/05 League Round having been played on Wednesday night the outlook for the coming preliminary pool battles is very promising.

Dinamo MOSCOW (RUS) decided the first match of the fifth Indesit European Champions’ League 2004/05 in their favour beating Lokomotiv KHARKIV from the Ukraine after one hour of play in three straight sets. Even though the beginning of the match was fairly balanced the Russians soon became more confident in their game winning the first set 25:20 and dominating throughout the subsequent two sets. “I’m satisfied with the result of the match but not quite with the game”, commented Dinamo’s head coach Boris Kolchin after the match, “However, we came to Kharkov to win and even though we faced serious opponents we are glad to have won the opening match of the Champions’ League.” For the six times Ukrainian volleyball champion Lokomotiv KHARKIV it was the first appearance in the Indesit European Champions’ League but with the appointment of a new head coach only shortly before competition start, namely Yuriy Kravzov, they finally had to accept a first defeat against the stronger Muscovites. The other encounter of Pool D between Knack ROESELARE from Belgium and PARIS Volley (FRA) was won in the fifth set by the Parisians whom had to fight hard in order to regain control of the match. Already leading 2-0 after the first two sets the home team came back to draw at 2-2 but they didn’t manage to take the tiebreak, granting the first victory in Pool D to the French.
The German team of VfB FRIEDRICHSHAFEN were also unlucky in their first match of Pool A having to surrender to the Greeks from Iraklis THESSALONIKI, who finished fourth in the previous edition, in straight sets. “We didn’t expect to win this match 3-0”, commented Thessaloniki’s coach Alekos Leonis, “but we were focused on the match”. On the other side Stelian Moculescu, the coach of VfB FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, acknowledged that the Greek team were better in all levels making them one of the favourites for the Final Four.
Pool B experienced tighter encounters with the Austrians from Aon hotVolleys VIENNA overcoming the pressure of playing at home by defeating their Polish rivals JASTRZEBSKI Wegiel in four sets, only conceding the third (20:25). After winning the first two sets against the 12 times champion from Serbia Montenegro, Vojvodina Novolin NOVI SAD, the Bulgarian guest team from Levski Siconco SOFIA lost the following two sets so that the tiebreak had to decide. In front of 4’200 spectators in the sportshall of Vojvodina the home crowd finally saw their team lose the deciding set 13:15. “I am very sad to have lost this game”, stated the libero of Vojvodina Novolin NOVI SAD Vasa Mijic, “we weren’t lucky and also lacked the necessary experience.” Brunko Gavrilov, head coach of Sofia, was relieved that the home team didn’t play as well as expected, but reckons that the second encounter against Vojvodina will be equally tough.

The women's League Round will start on Wednesday, 10 November 2004.

Men’s Indesit European Champions League 2004/05, Pool rounds, 1^st leg.
Results Tuesday, November 3, 2004: 

Preliminary Pool A

Iraklis THESSALONIKI (GRE) - VfB FRIEDRICHSHAFEN (GER)

3-0

25-22, 25-21, 25-21

Preliminary Pool B

Aon hotVolleys VIENNA (AUT) - JASTRZEBSKI Wegiel S.S.A. (POL)	3-1	25-19, 25-19, 20-25, 25-20
Vojvodina Novolin NOVI SAD (SCG) - Levski Siconco SOFIA (BUL)	2-3	22-25, 23-25, 25-19, 25-22, 13-15

Preliminary Pool D

Knack ROESELARE (BEL) - PARIS Volley (FRA)	2-3	20-25, 22-25, 25-20, 25-23, 11-15
Lokomotiv KHARKIV (UKR) - Dinamo MOSCOW (RUS)	0-3	20-25, 19-25, 20-25

Further Match Schedule League Round (all times are local)

Preliminary Pool A

Polska Energia SOSNOWIEC (POL) - Noliko MAASEIK (BEL)

04.11.2004

18.00

Preliminary Pool C

TOURS VB (FRA) - Hypo Tirol INNSBRUCK (AUT)	04.11.2004	20.30
Unicaja ALMERIA (ESP) - Sisley TREVISO (ITA)	04.11.2004	20.30

Women’s Indesit European Champions League 2004/05, Pool rounds, 1^st leg.
Preliminary Pool A

Günes Vakifbank ISTANBUL (TUR) - Hotel Cantur LAS PALMAS (ESP)	10.11.2004	15.30
RC CANNES (FRA) - Stal BIELSKO-BIALA (POL)	10.11.2004	20.30
Uralochka NTMK EKATERINBURG (RUS) - Foppapedretti BERGAMO (ITA)	10.11.2004	18.00

 
Preliminary Pool B

Sant’Orsola Asystel NOVARA (ITA) - Crvena Zvezda BEOGRAD (SCG)	10.11.2004	20.30
Calisia Winiary KALISZ (POL) - Azerrail BAKU (AZE)	10.11.2004	18.00
TENERIFE Marichal (ESP) - Besiktas ISTANBUL (TUR)	10.11.2004	20.00

More on the net (including statistics, match reports, photos and other information) at www.cev.lu

More on the web at www.cev.lu

Enjoy & Be There:
2-4 November 2004: Indesit European Champions League Men, 1st leg League Round, Various.
9-11 November 2004: Indesit European Champions League Women 1st leg, Men 2nd leg, League Round, Various.
9-11 November 2004: Austrian Airlines Top Teams Cup Men, 1st leg League Round, Various.
9-11 November 2004: Top Teams Cup Women, 1st leg, League Round, Various.
12-14 November 2004: CEV Cup Men & Women, 2nd round tournaments, Various.
16-18 November 2004: Indesit European Champions League Women 2nd leg, Men 3rd leg, League Round, Various.
16-18 November 2004: Austrian Airlines Top Teams Cup Men, 2nd leg League Round, Various.
16-18 November 2004: Top Teams Cup Women, 2nd leg, League Round, Various.
23-25 November 2004: Indesit European Champions League Women 3rd leg, Men 4th leg, League Round, Various.
23-25 November 2004: Austrian Airlines Top Teams Cup Men, 3rd leg League Round, Various.
23-25 November 2004: Top Teams Cup Women, 3rd leg, League Round, Various.
27 November 2004: Women’s Senior European Championships 2005 Final Round Drawing of Lots, Zagreb, Croatia.
30 November - 2 December 2004: Indesit European Champions League Women 4th leg, Men 5th leg, League Round, Various.
30 November - 2 December 2004: Austrian Airlines Top Teams Cup Men, 4th leg League Round, Various.
30 November - 2 December 2004: Top Teams Cup Women, 4th leg, League Round, Various.
7-9 December 2004: Indesit European Champions League Women 5th leg, Men 6th leg, League Round, Various.
7-9 December 2004: Austrian Airlines Top Teams Cup Men, 5th leg League Round, Various.
7-9 December 2004:Top Teams Cup Women, 5th leg, League Round, Various.
7-9 December 2004: CEV Cup Men & Women, 1/8 final, Home matches.