Trento, 15 July 2025

Champions League, Team Profiles: the two known opponents of Trentino Itas

Ziraat Bankkart Ankara (Turkey)
While Ziraat Bankkart Ankara lacks the long-standing tradition of other major Turkish volleyball clubs (having been founded in 1981), they have nonetheless collected an impressive amount of silverware: four Turkish Championships (the most recent one won in April), one Turkish Cup (in 2010), four Super Cups (2010, 2021, 2022, and 2023), a Balkan Cup (won in 2018), and, above all, the CEV Cup clinched only a few months ago in a final against defending champions Resovia, having eliminated Trentino Itas in the semifinals. That victory marks their highest international achievement, outweighing their runner-up finish in the 2021 Challenge Cup. Thanks to winning the Turkish league, they will take part in the Champions League for the fifth time, with their best-ever result being the semifinal reached in the 2024 edition, which was won by Trento.
Coach Kavaz (who took over from Italian coach Santilli in February 2022) has a roster brimming with talent, especially on high balls: replacing Anderson, who transferred to Japan at the end of last season, the club has signed Polish outside hitter Fornal (formerly of Jastrzebski), who will line up alongside Frenchman Clevenot (MVP of the Paris Olympic Games, formerly with Milano and Piacenza in Italy), while in the opposite position is Dutch star Nimir Abdelaziz (at Trento in the 2020/21 season, with 46 appearances and 841 points). All other players are home-grown talents, including setter Yenipazar, middle blockers Bülbül and Savas, and libero Bayraktar—all members of the Turkish national team—completing the starting six.
Against Trentino Volley, they have two recent official meetings, both from the 2025 CEV Cup semifinals, with one win apiece: 3-2 to Trentino at home on March 12, and 3-1 to Ziraat in Ankara on March 19.

Tours VB (France)
This team hails from the city of Tours, which has over 130,000 residents and is the capital of the Indre-et-Loire region. Historically, it is one of the most prominent clubs in French volleyball. This is underlined by their recent tenth national championship, secured in May after defeating Poitiers in the final. Their trophy case also features eleven French Cups, five French Super Cups, and, most notably, two continental titles: the Champions League, won in 2005 in Athens by defeating Greek side Iraklis Thessaloniki in the final, and the CEV Cup in 2017, won over Trento in the golden set. In Europe’s top competition (this will mark their nineteenth time participating), they were runners-up in 2007. Like Trentino, last season they reached the semifinals of the CEV Cup.
Against the yellow-blue team, they have eight official previous meetings, six of which came in the group stage of the Champions League. In the 2013 edition, Trentino won both matches 3-0, first in France (November 1, 2012) and then at PalaTrento (December 5, 2012). In 2016, Trentino Diatec won 3-0 at home (December 2, 2015), but lost 3-2 away (December 16, 2015), while in 2024 Trentino won both matches (3-1 away on November 29 and 3-0 at home on December 21). In the 2017 CEV Cup Final, each side took a win: Trentino 3-0 at PalaTrento (April 12), 3-1 for the French three days later.
Coach Maden Klasic (formerly of Ljubljana) leads a squad that includes Serbian setter Coric, middle blockers Santos Marshman and Voss, outside hitter Strehlau (MVP of the latest French championship), and libero Ramon. The main new signings are Slovenian opposite Mujanovic (formerly of Monza), Finnish outside hitter Suihkonen (formerly of Chaumont), and Canadian outside hitter Heslinga.

Trentino Volley Srl
Press Office