TOURS VB AGAINST PARIS VOLLEY - THE FRENCH SUPREMACY

Men's Indesit European Champions' League 2004/05

Tours, France, February 28, 2005. As in 2002, two French teams face each other in order to reach the Final Four of the most popular and the most famous European club competition, the Indesit European Champions League.

For the second round of the play-off the French team from TOURS VB, current leader of the national championship and 2004 national champions, receives PARIS Volley, who are currently ranked fifth in the national championship, but won the 2004 national cup. In their last encounter, TOURS beat PARIS, but in a previous match for the French Supercup, PARIS won 3:1.
Concerning this particular match TOURS head coach Roberto Serniotti stated: “From the beginning of the IECL, PARIS Volley showed a very good level of volleyball, not beating MOSCOW, PIACENZA and BERLIN by chance. The equation is very simple for us: we need a home win with the highest possible score difference.” During last weekend, both teams won their matches. In TOURS line-up Marlen Moreau might be missing due to a stomach injury. TOURS is expecting a very large audience for the French power match against PARIS Volley.

Jean-Michel Barre
Press
TOURS VB

Bree, Belgium, February 28, 2005. On Wednesday, 2nd March, there will be another exciting evening in the Expodroom of Bree. Noliko MAASEIK and VfB FRIEDRICHSHAFEN will face each other (return match on Tuesday, 8th March) in order to reach the Final Four of the Indesit European Champions League in Thessaloniki, Greece.

In 2000 Noliko MAASEIK reached the Final Four for the last time: 2nd place in 1997 (Vienna) and in 1999 (Almeria), 3rd place in 2000 (Treviso). The question is whether Noliko MAASEIK will be able to reach the Final Four again, considering the fact that the competition has become much stronger over the last five years with many teams from Italy, Russia, France and Greece having joined the Indesit European Champions League.
Our German opponents have won their last game in the German competition 3:0 against MOERS and they will be arriving in Belgium on Tuesday, where they will stay in Hotel Ellikom. FRIEDRICHSHAFEN know that qualifying for the Final Four will increase their publicity. Therefore, their sponsors ZF and Zeppelin have organised free busses for the German spectators to come to the Expodroom on Wednesday.


Walther Kippers
Media Officer
Noliko MAASEIK



BATTLE OF THE CHAMPIONS

Belgorod, Russia, February 28, 2005. Two times defending champion of the Indesit European Champions’ League Lokomotiv BELGOROD are one step ahead of making their way to the third title. Now the “lions” will face one of the strongest clubs in Italy, Sisley TREVISO.

This volleyball battle is expected to be even more interesting and thrilling than the Russian clash Lokomotiv vs. Dinamo. Sisley are in Italy what Lokomotivare in Russia. The Italians were seven times national champion, they have won three gold medals in the Champions’ League, and have won the CEV Cup four times. Only yesterday Bagnoli’s squad reaped the Cup of Italy for the fourth time in their history.
Sisley also reached the play-off round last season, but were beaten by French TOURS VB, so that even the second victory over the French couldn't help Sisley qualifying for the Final Four. In the decisive stage of the battle for the ticket to Thessaloniki the Italians will meet the “Russian Rockets”: Six-times Russian champion, five-times winner of the Russian Cup, and twice champion of the Indesit European Champions’ League.
The fact that nine players from different national teams (Russia, Italy, Brazil, Portugal) will be on court gives an extra thrill to the forthcoming home and away matches.


Andrew Gubin
Press Officer
Lokomotiv BELGOROD