Zawiercie entered the play-off for the quarter-finals of the Volleyball Champions League as the only team that finished third in its group. In the last and most complicated scenario. This slightly spoils the impression of the overall success, which is the continued play of as many as three PlusLiga clubs in Europe – the last time such a situation took place in 2018. At that time, PGE Skra Bełchatów and the same two teams that complete the line-up now – Jastrzębski Węgiel and ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle – were in the 1/12 finals of the competition.
A miracle saved the inhabitants of Zawiercie. The last promotion scenario. Lube helped
The bad streak, during which the third club from Poland always lacked something to stay in the Champions League, was therefore interrupted, but for a long time it seemed that it did not have to be that way. Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie needed a good performance in the last match in Berlin to ensure its stay in the Champions League. However, she did not win a set – Berlin Recycling Volleys beat her 3:0 (25:22, 25:17, 25:19). So we had to count on the results in the remaining matches.
All the second-place teams in their groups advanced to the round of 16 – or the play-off for the quarter-finals of the Champions League, as the European Volleyball Federation (CEV) calls this stage of the competition – all the teams from the second places in their groups advanced, but Zawiercie was only in third place. And in such a situation, they had to count on remaining the best team from this position among the other groups. For this, they needed Benfica to beat Tours VB, and if the Portuguese fail, then Cucine Lube Civitanova to win against Knack Roeselare.
Benfica lost their match after three sets, so you had to count on the Italians. They won the first set, but the Belgians from Roeselare started to turn the tide of the meeting. It got 2-1 and Knack had a great chance to get out of the group. Fortunately, however, it ended with a tie-break and Lube won 3:2 (25:23, 26:28, 23:25, 25:17, 15:9), which guaranteed further play in the Champions League for Zawiercie.
Polish play-off for the quarter-finals. The new system took away ZAKSIE’s direct promotion, but gave Warta a chance
It could have been a catastrophe, because the sequence of subsequent results and the scenario that was written after the painful defeat of Warta Zawiercie would have to be regarded as such. However, a miracle happened and the Poles remain in the game. With a little insufficiency, because the style of this promotion certainly leaves him, but what matters is that three teams play on – there is no doubt here.
In the quarter-finals of the Champions League, Polish volleyball has a certain place for two teams – the ladder was arranged in such a way that Jastrzębski Węgiel, which had already secured a game directly in the quarter-finals by winning its group, will be joined by either the team from Zawiercie or ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle . The latter, after Wednesday’s 3-2 defeat to Trentino, was the best team from the classification of second places in the group stage. That is why in the next phase it will have a match with theoretically the weakest of the rivals, i.e. Warta Zawiercie.
Matches of the 1/8 finals of the Volleyball Champions League 2022/2023:
- Grupa Azoty ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle – Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie
- Vfb Friedrichshafen – Tours VB
- Ziraat Bankasi Ankara – Berlin Recycling Volleys
If the new system of promotions and play-offs in the Champions League had not been introduced from this season, in the puzzle according to the previous rules, ZAKSA and Jastrzębski would be sure of playing in the quarter-finals and would wait for the draw of the rivals. For the inhabitants of Kędzierzyn, this is a better arrangement than the current one, but it would take away the chance of staying in the games for the Zawiercie team. A defeat to the Berlin Recycling Volleys would see them out of the Champions League.
Jastrzębski in a great position. Perfect way to even the final
Their situation is still not the best – throwing the current defender of the trophy out of the competition will not be easy. Both clubs – Warta and ZAKSA – ended up on the more difficult side of the ladder. The better of this pair will meet last year’s finalist – Trentino, with whom ZAKSA now also competed in the group, in the quarter-finals, and in the semi-finals it can play with Sir Safety Perugia, which is undefeated this season, dominating the Italian Serie A.
They may be in better moods in Jastrzębie-Zdrój. Although the promotion was already certain, the high seeding gave the Polish runners-up a place on the other side of the ladder in relation to the other PlusLiga clubs. Thus, in the quarter-finals they will play Vfb Friedrichshafen or Tours VB, and in the semi-finals they can face Cucine Lube Civitanova. It is a competitor who has done great in previous years, still dangerous, but at the same time much weaker than Perugia.
Quarter-final matches of the Champions League 2022/2023:
- Sir Safety Perugia – Ziraat Bankasi Ankara/Berlin Recycling Volleys
- Trentino – Grupa Azoty ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle/Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie
- Halkbank Ankara – Cucine Lube Civitanova
- Jastrzębski Węgiel – Vfb Friedrichshafen/Tours VB
The possible path to the final of Jastrzębski Węgiel looks interesting, although it should be remembered that it was this Polish team that had the easiest rivals in the group. She took advantage of it well and now has a great opportunity, but she has a lot to prove. In the case of ZAKSA and Warta, it will be much more difficult to enter the top four of the tournament.
Source: Sport
Tristin is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his in-depth and engaging writing on sports. He currently works as a writer at 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the sports industry.
