ONE OF LAST CHANCES FOR TENERIFE MARICHAL TO REACH SECOND PLACE

Women's Indesit European Champions' League 2005/06

Tenerife, Spain, December 6, 2005. TENERIFE Marichal will not yet give up the possibility of achieving second spot in Preliminary Pool B, having to beat Pallavolo Sirio PERUGIA next Thursday at 20.00hrs local time in the sports hall Santiago Martin.

The Spanish team are not doing as well as during the previous seasons of the Indesit European Champions’ League, even though they possess several quality players. The 2003/04 IECL champion and last year’s bronze medallist will have to give their all in order not to drop out of the competition before the quarterfinal stage for the first time in many years.

For the first time in this European Cups’ competition, Italian Mauro Masacci will coach TENERIFE, making good use of his knowledge about the team from PERUGIA. Missing Miki Golubovic, the Serbia Montenegrin player who sprained her ankle in Baku last Wednesday, Masacci will most probably include Spanish center Susana Rodríguez in the starting six. The Italian group on the other side, who will arrive on the Canary Island one day before the match, will bring their whole selection.

TENERIFE Marichal are aiming for their second victory after having been defeated three times. They can’t afford to lose once more, otherwise they will run the risk of missing the quarterfinals.

Quico Cabrera, president of the hosting team, expects “a very good spectacle” hoping that his team will finish as winner. Cabrera believes that the “supporters will play an important role to achieve our purpose”. Slovakian Dusan Hodon and Greek Vassilis Adonoulis are the referees appointed for this meeting.

Plamen Takev
Team manager
TENERIFE Marichal

ECZACIBASI IN PURSUIT OF SECOND WIN...

Istanbul, Turkey, December 5, 2005. Eczacibasi will play their fifth match in the Indesit European Champions League against CAT TROFA from Portugal. The match will take place in Eczacibasi Sports Hall on Wednesday, 7th December 2005 at 14.00hrs local time (CET +1), broadcast live by Kanal D TV.

Competing in Pool A of the League Round in the Indesit European Champions’ League, Eczacibasi obtained their first victory in four matches against the strong Russian side Uralochka EKATERINBURG. This away win was very important for the team in terms of morale and motivation.

Technical Director Marco Aurelio Motta stated after the match: “This 3:1 away win by our young squad is good for the team's morale, providing us with ambition and motivation for the upcoming matches. Next opponent will be CAT TROFA. We will do our best to win this match and position ourselves in he htop half of our group.”

Eczacibasi currently stands on fifth place with five total points.

Vahide Palantöken
Press Officer
Eczacibasi ISTANBUL

BERGAMO FACE SECOND HOME MATCH

Bergamo, Italy, December 5, 2005. Foppapedretti BERGAMO return to the “Palace of Sports” in Treviglio for the fifth match of the Indesit European Champions’ League. On Tuesday at 20.30hrs local time the Italians will face the Spaniards from Hotel Cantur LAS PALMAS.

Whilst BERGAMO currently holds first place in Pool A, LAS PALMAS follow closely with one more defeat to book so far.
Referees of the match will be Vladimir Cuk (SCG) and Svetoslav Zlatarev (BUL).

The match will be transmitted on match day by RAISport Satellite at 22.15hrs.

Giorgia Marchesi
Press Officer
Foppapedretti BERGAMO

MLADOST ZAGREB HEADING FOR FIRST VICTORY

Zagreb, Croatia, December 5, 2005. In the fifth leg of the Indesit European Champions´ League, Mladost ZAGREB (CRO) will host Turkish Vakifbank Günes ISTANBUL, winner of the women’s Top Teams Cup 2003/04.

After losing four matches in a row in the Indesit European Champions’ League, Mladost ZAGREB is ready to attack again, this time facing Vakifbank Günes from ISTANBUL. Currently leading the Turkish League, they are also determined to achieve success in the Champions’ League with the aim of qualifying for the Final Four tournament. In the fourth leg Calisia KALISZ (POL) beat Vakifbank Günes ISTANBUL (TUR) 3:2 with much luck in the tiebreak set.

With a team composition of 12 players, young talents such as Hana Cutura (born 1988) and Vlatka Zahora (born 1986) will also have a good opportunity to gain important experience playing in this elite competition.

Assistant coach Ruslan Ruban said: “We expect to win, since we are playing at home. We should gain our first victory in the Indesit European Champions' League, which will be much easier to achieve whilst playing in front of our audience. I think we can expect a good game. Our form is improving, especially after having won the important match in the MEVZA competition. Also the atmosphere in the team is great, so we will definitely give and hope for the best.”

The match is scheduled for Wednesday evening at 17.00hrs in the “Bojan Stranic” hall in Zagreb. Both teams will play with their complete selection.

Iva Janezic
Press Officer
Mladost ZAGREB

 

FROM URAL MOUNTAINS TO FRENCH RIVIERA

Cannes, France, December 6, 2005. This is the second home match for RC CANNES in the Indesit European Champions' League, which will oppose them to Uralochka EKATERINBURG.

After the Volleyball World Cup, which took place in Japan in November, where CANNES player Malgorzata Glinka participated under Polish colours, both teams are ready to take on the Indesit European Champions' League challenge again.

Thanks to a fourth Cuban player the Russian team are able to surprise. Nobody knows their game, which makes the girls secret weapons and difficult to judge for CANNES .

This match is very important regarding the final classification. The match is scheduled for Thursday evening at 20.00hrs in the Victories sports hall in Cannes.


Noémie Ange
Press Officer
RC CANNES