Poles replaced Russians at the top of Europe. A dominance that still continues

Looking at the history of the Champions League and its predecessor, the European Champion Clubs' Cup (1960-2000), the all-time table is dominated by Russian clubs, or those formerly from the USSR. Since 1960, the first winner, CSKA Moscow, has the most triumphs - thirteen.

In more recent history, Zenit Kazan is in second place among the best in Champions League history. The club, which has played for Wilfredo Leon and Bartosz Bednorz in the past, has six titles to its name. The all-time podium is completed by the Italian trio: Modena Volley, Sisley Treviso and Trentino Volley.

The first of the clubs had its big time in the 1990s, adding four wins and stopping there. The club from Treviso last triumphed in 2006, and Trentino – this is the latest history, because from last season. The club playing under the name Itas Trentino defeated the Polish champion from Jastrzębie-Zdrój in three sets.

ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle's dominance. Memorable "Polish final" in Turin

Teams originating from Russia are currently withdrawn from all international competitions under the auspices of the FIVB and CEV. This is the result of the brutal attack on Ukraine by troops under the baton of Vladimir Putin, in late February 2022. The war on our eastern border has been going on uninterrupted for over three years, consuming, among others, innocent civilians.

The reality of no Russian clubs in the Champions League has changed the balance of power in Europe. Polish teams have jumped in to replace the Russian giants. And this does not diminish the clubs originating from the PlusLiga in any way. Poles have most often competed with Italians, the presence of teams from the Apennine Peninsula is also an unwritten tradition of the Champions League finals.

When was the last time a team outside the trio of Italy, Poland and Russia won the Champions League? You have to really dig deep, going back to the 2006/07 season. At that time, in the finals held in Moscow, the best came from the German VfB Friedrichshafen. The finals were sensational, as the Germans played for the cup with the French Tours VB. In the "consolation final", the giants, at least on paper, faced off: the host Dinamo Moscow and the Italian Lube Banca Marche Macerata.

The 2023 CL final had a special meaning for Polish volleyball fans. At that time, in the beautiful Pala Alpitour facility in Turin, the matter of gold was decided between clubs from Kędzierzyn-Koźle and Jastrzębie-Zdrój. It was therefore a repeat of a dozen or so days earlier, when ZAKSA and Jastrzębski Węgiel played for the PlusLiga gold. It was similar in the case of the Polish Cup - in a word - there was no competition at that time that could come close to this duo.

Although ZAKSA was badly battered and its decline seemed to be a matter of time, as the next season 2023/24 showed, the Kędzierzyn players once again rose to fight for gold. In the presence of over 10 thousand fans in the stands, we watched a volleyball show at a high level - especially considering the intensity of emotions. It started 1:0 for Jastrzębie, then 2:1 in sets in favor of ZAKSA, a murderous ending and 30:28 for Jastrzębski Węgiel and a tie-break ending 15:12 for Kędzierzyn. ZAKSA won the Champions League for the third time in a row.

On this occasion, we recommend texts from that event, WPROST was present in Turin, from where it directly reported on the events related to the finals of the Men's Volleyball Champions League.

It started in 2021 and the victory of coach Nikola Grbić's team. At that time, Aleksander Śliwka was chosen MVP of the final battle, and Itas Trentino (3:1) left the Polish team defeated. A year later? A repeat of the finalists, this time ZAKSA won even more confidently (3:0), and Kamil Semeniuk was unrivaled. The team was led by coach Gheorghe Cretu. The third coach with ZAKSA's gold in the LM was Tuomas Sammelvuo. The Finn snatched the last Polish victory in the volleyball Champions League with the team, and David Smith was chosen MVP at that time.

A year later, Jastrzębski Węgiel played in the final again, but the Turkish Antalya turned out to be lucky for Itas. The club from Trentino, after two defeats in a row with ZAKSA and an absence from the finals in the capital of Piedmont, finally won, and in three sets. Itas triumphed in the CL for the first time since 2011.

Polish places on the podium of the PEMK/Champions League volleyball

• 1960 – AZS AWF Warsaw (3rd place)
• 1963 – Legia Warsaw (3)
• 1968 – Legia Warsaw (3)
• 1973 – Resovia Rzeszow (2)
• 1976 – Resovia Rzeszow (3)
• 1978 – Flame Milowice (1)
• 1979 – Flame Milowice (3)
• 1981 – Guard Wroclaw (3)
• 2003 – Mostostal Kędzierzyn-Koźle (3)
• 2008 – PGE Skra Belchatow (3)
• 2010 – PGE Skra Belchatow (3)
• 2012 – PGE Skra Belchatow (2)
• 2014 – Jastrzębski Coal (3)
• 2019 – PGE Skra Belchatow (3)
• 2021 – ZAKSA Kedzierzyn-Kozle (1)
• 2022 – Grupa Azoty ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle (1)
• 2023 – Grupa Azoty ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle (1)
• 2023 – Jastrzębski Coal (2)
• 2024 – Jastrzębski Coal (2)

Will the JSW Jastrzębski Węgiel volleyball players be able to turn the page of the finals and – a bit like in the case of the national cup – reach their goal at the end of the 2024/25 season? The fourth team of the PlusLiga has Łukasz Kaczmarek in its ranks. The attacker, who moved to Jastrzębie-Zdrój from ZAKSA, already has three Champions League victories under his belt. So the "Animal" knows how to win finals.

However, it must be remembered that before the final, the Jastrzębie team must win... the semi-final. And the Jurassic Knights also have a craving for a historic, first-ever medal in the club's history. Regardless of the results, one thing is certain - a Polish team will definitely play in the fifth CL final in a row. No other country in Europe can boast such a series. And this once again confirms what exceptional times we are talking about for Polish men's volleyball.

Final Four of the Champions League for volleyball players. Where and when to watch the matches?

The competition for the title of the best club team on the Old Continent in the 2024/25 season will begin next Friday (i.e. May 16). The Final Four of the Champions League will be held at the Atlas Arena in Łódź. The first semi-final will feature Sir Sicoma Monini Perugia (Italy) and Halkbank Ankara (Türkiye). The match will start at 8:00 p.m.

A day later, i.e. on Saturday (17th May), there will be a "Polish" semi-final, in which the two-time CL finalists, from 2024 and 2023, and the Polish vice-champions - also from the last two seasons - will face off. The match JSW Jastrzębski Węgiel - Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie will start at 14:45.

The bronze and gold medal matches are scheduled for Sunday (May 18). The "consolation final" starts at 4:00 p.m., and the gold medal match starts at 8:05 p.m. All matches will be broadcast on Polsat Sport 1. In the case of online broadcasts, they will be available, among others, via Polsat Box Go.

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