FINAL FOUR COMPLETED WITH LOKOMOTIV BELGOROD!

Men's Indesit European Champions' League 2004/05

Luxembourg, March 10, 2005. Following the qualification of VfB FRIEDRICHSHAFEN (GER) and TOURS VB (FRA) for the Final Four of the Men’s Indesit European Champions’ League 2004/05 in Thessaloniki, Greece from 26-27 March 2005 two-time defending champion Lokomotiv BELGOROD (RUS) have once again reached the Final Round after beating Italian Sisley TREVISO for the second time (3:2), now meeting hosting team Iraklis THESSALONIKI in the semifinal round.

The key to the success of Lokomotiv BELGOROD was the first match played in Russia last week. The two times Indesit European Champions’ League Champion nailed Sisley TREVISO in three straight sets. With this in mind, the defending champion had to win one set in the return match played in Jesolo, Italy this Thursday.

This was easier said than done. Sisley TREVISO started the match extremely well and won the first set. The Italian team, also former winner of the world’s strongest club competition, had even chances to win the second set too, but Lokomotiv BELGOROD definitely wanted to win the set needed.

After an exciting end, it was the Russian team that levelled the match by winning the second set 27-25. This was immediately the time to celebrate the qualification for the Final Four. A major success again for Lokomotiv BELGOROD as it wasn’t an easy task for the ‘Russian Rockets’. That Lokomotiv BELGOROD finally won the match 3:2 was only for the history books.

With Lokomotiv BELGOROD as last team qualified for the Final Four, the field of Men’s Indesit European Champions’ League is down to the four best teams from Europe. In the final event, to be played in Thessaloniki, Greece on 26 and 27 March, Lokomotiv BELGOROD will play against organizer Iraklis THESSALONIKI. In the other semifinal, TOURS VB from France will meet German VfB FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, the team that reached the semifinal stage with a lot of luck.

It is only strange to see that three of the Final Four participants came from exactly the same preliminary pool in the league round. Iraklis THESSALONIKI, Lokomotiv BELGOROD and VfB FRIEDRICHSHAFEN already met each other in earlier stages of the competition in Pool A.

The Women’s Indesit European Champions’ League is scheduled for 19 and 20 March in Tenerife, Spain.

Men’s Indesit European Champions League 2004/05, Second Playoff Round, Home & Away matches (teams in bold to Final Four).

Tuesday, 1 March 2005 

TOURS VB (FRA) - PARIS Volley (FRA)

1:3

18-25, 22-25, 25-14, 18-25

102 mins

Wednesday, 9 March 2005 

PARIS Volley (FRA) - TOURS VB (FRA)

0-3

17-25, 18-25, 21-25

77 mins

Wednesday, 2 March 2005 

Noliko MAASEIK (BEL) - VfB FRIEDRICHSHAFEN (GER)

2:3

23-25, 18-25, 25-21, 25-22, 10-15

114 mins

Tuesday, 8 March 2005 

VfB FRIEDRICHSHAFEN (GER) - Noliko MAASEIK (BEL)

2:3

23-25, 25-20, 25-22, 23-25, 15-13

141 mins

Thursday, 3 March 2005 

Lokomotiv BELGOROD (RUS) - Sisley TREVISO (ITA)

3:0

25-20, 25-11, 25-17

64 mins

Thursday, 10 March 2005 

Sisley TREVISO (ITA) - Lokomotiv BELGOROD (RUS)

2:3

25-23, 25-27, 25-20, 22-25, 13-15

101 mins

 

Match Schedule Final Four (local time)

Final Four

Saturday, 26 March 2005	16.00	VfB FRIEDRICHSHAFEN (GER) vs. TOURS VB (FRA)
	20.15	Iraklis THESSALONIKI (GRE) vs. Lokomotiv BELGOROD (RUS)
Sunday, 27 March 2005	16.00	Bronze medal match
	19.00	Final

Women’s Indesit European Champions League 2004/2005

Match Schedule Final Four (local time)

Final Four

Saturday, 19 March 2005	16.00	Foppapedretti BERGAMO (ITA) - TENERIFE Marichal (ESP)
	19.00	Sant’Orsola Asystel NOVARA (ITA) - RC CANNES (FRA)
Sunday, 20 March 2005	13.30	Bronze medal match
	16.00	Final

More on the web at www.cev.lu

Enjoy & Be There:

11-12 March 2005: Austrian Airlines Top Teams Cup, Final Four Men, Piraeus, Greece.
12-13 March 2005: Top Teams Cup, Final Four Women, Turin, Italy.
19-20 March 2005: Indesit European Champions League, Final Four Women, Tenerife, Spain.
26-27 March 2005: Indesit European Champions League, Final Four Men, Thessaloniki, Greece.
29 March-03 April 2005: Youth European Championships 2005, Boys Final Round, Riga, Latvia.
29 March-03 April 2005: Youth European Championships 2005, Girls Final Round, Tallinn, Estonia. 

23-24 July 2005: European League, Final Four, Kazan, Russia.
26-31 July 2005: FIVB Grand Prix Qualification, Baku, Azerbaijan.
02-11 September 2005: Men’s Senior European Championships 2005, Rome (ITA) and Belgrade (SCG).
16-25 September 2005: Women’s Senior European Championships 2005, Pula and Zagreb, Croatia.