Pools Decided For 2018 Champions League Fourth Round

2018 CEV CHAMPIONS LEAGUE – MEN

• October 4, 2017 – May 13, 2018
• CEV Champions Cup
• Fourth Round
• Event Page

The 2018 Champions League is nearly underway, with the pools being chosen for the fourth round of play. The top eight teams in the competition have advanced to this point in the tournament that stretches until May 2018.

The winner could be up in the air this season, as some of the stronger players for Zenit Kazan will sit out at least in the first leg of the Champions League’s fourth round. Out of Pool A, there are two strong Italian squads that both made the semifinals last season that could make their way to the finals once again.

Pool A

• Sir Safety Conad Perugia
• Cucine Lube Civitanova
• Fenerbahce SK Istanbul
• Knack Roeselare

Italy stands strong in Pool A as Sir Safety and Cucine Lube are the standout squads. In fact, the two teams will meet up in the first leg of the tournament to hash out a 2017 semifinal debacle where Sir Safety won in the tiebreak set.

Knack Roeselare finished in 11th place in the 2017 edition of the event, not making it to the group stage as they have this year. Fenerbahce SK Istanbul was not in the prior edition of the event, looking to make a splash in 2018.

Pool B

• Vfb Friedrichshafen
• Halkbank Ankara
• Ford Store Levoranta Sastamala
• Paok Thessaloniki

Three teams in Pool B were members of the 2017 edition, where Vfb Friedrichshafen finished in 15th place, Halkbank Ankara in 18th and Paok Thessaloniki in 26th.

Ford Store Levoranta Sastamala are entering the tournament for the first time and time first time that a team from Finland has qualified for the group rounds.

Pool C

• PGE Skre Belchatow
• Chaumont VB 52 Haute Marne
• Lokomotiv Novosibirsk
• Dinamo Moscow

Dinamo Moscow was a 2017 top-10 finisher in the Champions League as they ended the competition in 7th place. Also featured in the 2017 edition was PGE Skre Belchatow as they finished in 12th place.

Chaumont VB 52 Haute Marne is making their first appearance in the Champions League while Lokomotiv Novosibirsk is making the tournament after missing in 2017. Lokomotiv has felt the glory of winning the event in the past as they won in 2013 and will look to revive their past success.

Pool D

• Spacer’s Toulouse VB
• Zenit Kazan
• Jastrzebski Wegiel
• Berlin Recycling Volleys

Zenit Kazan is the big name in Pool D, as they are the reigning champions of the past three years and are looking to make history by winning again to be the only team to win four years in a row. Also returning after a strong 2017 finish is Berlin Recycling Volleys as they finished in fourth place last year.

Jastrzebski Wegiel and Spacer’s Toulouse VB make an appearance this season in the group stages as they missed out on the 2017 edition altogether.