Zenit Kazan remains the last team of Champions League with a clean record. Italian champion from Piacenza lost again.

Russian Zenit KAZAN won their fifth consecutive match of the main phase of the Men’s CEV Indesit European Champions League and secured their first place in Pool B. The Russian champions won their home match against Unicaja ALMERIA in straight sets. The Spaniards experienced too many troubles in passing, whilst Kazan’s players controlled the net. “I gave some younger players the chance to play, they did a good job”, said Kazan’s head coach Vladimir Alekno.

In the penultimate game of the competition in Pool F PARIS Volley overcame Asseco Resovia RZESZOW 3-2 after very exciting and dramatic thriller. After earlier defeat of ACH Volley Bled in ISTANBUL (0-3) it was clear that RZESZOW needed only one more victory to secure the leadership in Pool F whereas PARIS lost their chances to be in contention in the CICL. Despite the different goals for both teams nearly 4.000 supporters in Podpromie sports hall saw some fantastic volleyball and many incredible actions in defense.

German champion VfB FRIEDRICHSHAFEN got its fourth victory in the CEV Indesit Champions League 2009/2010 and qualified for the second round, the play-off 12. In front of 4.000 spectators in the sold out ZF Arena Friedrichshafen the Germans won in three sets against Greek vice-champion Panathinaikos ATHENS. German star Georg Grozer was really satisfied about the qualification for the play-off 12: “I am totally happy to be in the next round. ATHENS was a big opponent. We were nervous in the beginning, but we played together as a team and won.”

In Pool D in Kragujevac, the favorites from PGE Skra BELCHATOW won their important game against CICL debutant Radnicki KRAGUJEVAC. Mariusz Wlazly told at press conference that they were very lucky, because Radnicki played much better than in Poland.

In Pool C, Lube Banca Marche Macerata defeated Budvanska Rivijera Budva 3-0 and got the arithmetic qualification for the playoffs of Champions League. In the other duel of Pool C between Noliko Maaseik ans Hypo Tirol Innsbruck, the Austrian team kept cool in the fifth set, overpowering hosts 3:2 (15-12).

Olympiacos PIRAEUS defeated Dinamo MOSCOW in a dramatic five-setter and captured the second spot in Pool A. After some spectacular play during four sets, Olympiacos PIRAEUS, with some missiles from Ivan MILJKOVIC and Leonardo CALDEIRA, and the great help of the fans who attended the match, achieved to win the tie-break 15:10. Olympiacos PIRAEUS’s head coach Anders KRISTIANSSON said: “We showed a very good game, contrary to our first match in Moscow”.

KS JASTRZEBSKI Wegiel beat CopraAtlantide Piacenza 3:2 in Pool E. It was the second consecutive match in the CEV Indesit Champions League won by KS Jastrzebski. 3,000 thousands enthusiastic fans, wearing the club’s orange t-shirts, supported the Poles in their clash with CopraAtlantide. Daniel Castellani, the coach of the Polish national team, was among them. "I’m glad that I came to Jastrzebie, because it was a great match with some exciting moments", commented Daniel Castellani after the game.

Italian champion TRENTINO BetClic came to the Czech Republic as clear favorit of this match of Pool A. Domestic team Jihostroj started without respect and played one of the best matches during this season. JIHOSTROJ tried to win at least one set and played really great. In the third set the Czechs celebrated an unexpected set win. Nevertheless, Trentino was the better team, closing it out in four sets.

Champions league results and ranking

from CEV