For Oleg Antonov a new chance to show his skills

Ph. Trabalza

Trento, February 16th, 2016

It begins between today and tomorrow the second phase of the 2016 CEV DenizBank Volleyball Champions League. With the end of the League Round, comes in fact the moment of the final backboard with direct elimination. Trentino Diatec will debut in Playoffs 12 on Wednesday, February 17th in Belgium facing Volley Asse-Lennik for the first leg match, which will start at 8.30 pm and will be played at the Dome Lotto of Maaseik (usually it’s the field of Noliko) owing to the unavailability of the original structure of the Belgian training. Broadcasted live on Fox Sports, Radio Dolomiti and live streaming  on www.laola1.tv.
HERE TRENTINO DIATEC After having overtaken the bitter epilogue of the Italian Cup thanks to successive victories in the championship against Modena and Molfetta, the Champions of Italy forging their way in the month of February with the very important challenge in the Flemish land: the Yellow-blues will face the currently most competitive Belgian team, the only one of the country to gain access to the Champions League Playoffs. Tomorrow evening, the first act of a confrontation that seems to be a delicate one, especially since the regulation hides pitfalls at every turn, not allowing any missteps. To play a return match with less apprehensions, Trentino Diatec has to immediately win and to do that won’t be able to have the contribution of its captain. In fact this morning Filippo Lanza didn’t leave for Maaseik with the team, but he has remained in Italy to treat his left knee that recently gave him more and more problems. Antonov will replaced him while the captaincy will be dressed by Mitar Djuric.
"It’s an important and difficult match for lots of reasons” - presented the appointment Radostin Stoytchev - “and as such should be prepared with all the attentions of the case. The Lennik is a worthy opponent, has not lost a single match in the Belgian league last season and already has been able to get up in the semifinals of the CEV Cup proving to feel comfortable in European competitions. Its international experience has been further enhanced by the arrival of the director Depestele who knows how to do let his team play very well. Therefore it will be a high standard and full concentrated performance."
THE HISTORY OF TRENTINO VOLLEY IN EUROPE The Trentino Company reaches the eighth eighth-finals ever in a European Cup. Before this continental adventure, the association chaired by Diego Mosna had in fact cut the same goal in 2004/05 CEV Cup, being eliminated just at that point during the Halkbank event in Ankara, and 2014/15, surpassing the step thanks to two victories against the Romanians of Craiova, and then in five previous participations in the Champions League, passing the round with a double victory against Portol Palma Mallorca in 2009, against the Belgians of Knack Randstad Roeselare in 2010 and twice with Maaseik in 2012 and 2014. In the 2013 edition it was however ousted by Dynamo Moscow, while in 2011, organizing the Final Four in Bolzano, there was no need to take part in this first phase of the backboard. The one that will be played tomorrow will be the 77th away game in the international arena of Trentino Volley, the thirty-ninth in the Champions Cup, which has so far got twenty-nine victories; the last, less than a month ago in Maaseik. In total Trentino Volley won fifty-six of the sixty games played in this single event.
THE FORMULA AND OTHER MATCHES Tomorrow's match is valid as a first leg match of the second round (called "Playoffs 12") of the 2016 CEV Volleyball Champions League Denizbank; in the second phase of the tournament, the best twelve teams in Europe will in fact compete in a two-legged, that will result six teams qualified for the quarter finals (the "Playoffs 6"). The formations that will win both games will pass the turn; only if each one of the two teams have both won at tie break game or if they have both won one game apiece at most in four sets, the Golden sets to 15 will be played at the end of the second race. The Final Four will be played in Krakow (Poland) on April 16th-17th 2016 and will also see the participation of the organizing company, Asseco Resovia. The team that will qualify among Trento and Lennik, will face the winner of the eighth between Tours and Belgorod.
This is the program of the five other challenges. Tuesday, February 16th: Lotos Trefl Gdansk (Pol) vs. Zenit Kazan (Rus) and Arkas Izmir (Tur)  vs. Cucine Lube Civitanova. Wednesday, February 17th: PGE Skra Belchatow (Pol) vs. Ziraat Bankasi Ankara (Tur), Tours Vb (Fra) vs. Belogorie Belgorod (Rus), Halkbank Ankara (Tur) vs. DHL Modena.
PREVIOUSLY The one of tomorrow is the first absolute comparison between the two companies. Against teams from Belgium, Trentino Volley, however, has in store already ten games; the budget speaks only of victories, considering also the four hits that Trentino Volley got on Roeselare in the Playoffs 12 of the 2010 tournament (twice 3-1) and in the Challenge Round of 2015 CEV Cup (twice 3-2) and six victories with Maaseik all in the Champions League.
REFEREES The race will be directed by Mario Bernaola, the first Spanish referee of Valencia, and Jacobus Nederhoed, second Dutch whistle from Ylst (Netherlands). Both boast two previous meeting with Trentino Volley: Bernaola directed Trento vs. Resovia 3-0 on March 3rd, 2010 (the first leg of the Playoffs 6) and Trento vs. Kedzierzyn-Kozle 3-0 on November 14th, 2012 (race of Pool C); Nederhoed instead refereed Friedrichshafen vs. Trento 3-2 on January 11th, 2011 (round of Pool D) and Trento vs. Belgorod 0-3 on February 13th, 2014 (return of the Playoffs 6).
TV, RADIO AND INTERNET The match will be broadcasted live on Fox Sports, visible on the satellite platform Sky Sports on HD channel number 204. Commentary headed by Stefano Locatelli.
Intended as always also the Live broadcast on Radio Dolomiti, partner stations of Trentino Volley, with first connection at approximately at 8.25 pm. On the website www.radiodolomiti.com you can see all the frequencies of the regional network and, at the same time, you can stream the full match, by clicking "on air".
The website www.laola1.tv will broadcast streaming video and audio of the match; to be able to follow the races simply access the section reserved for the CEV Champions League (available on the link http://www.laola1.tv/en-int/channel/cev-champions-league-men and click on the red "live" that will appear at the top of the page.
To follow the match’s developments point to point, you can also consult the official website of the CEV www.cev.lu, that will provide live score. Updates score will always be active on www.trentinovolley.it and on Yellow-blue social networks (www.trentinovolley.it/facebook and www.trentinovolley.it/twitter).

CEV Champions League, Playoffs 12 home match schedule

Trentino Volley Srl
Press Office