Challenge Cup: Bratislava, Altekma and Milano join Lindemans Aalst to semifinals!

After Belgium’s Lindemans Aalst, who eliminated PAOK Thessaloniki from Greece to claim their ticket for Semifinals, 2025/26 CEV Challenge Cup quarterfinals have been completed today with all the other verdicts.
After a tie break win in Romania, Türkiye’s Altekma SK Izmir suffered a home defeat with the same result in front of their home fans against SCM Zalau, 2-3 (25:27, 25:21, 25:19, 23:25, 15:17), and so a Golden Set was necessary. After a very balanced start, Altekma closed it with the score of 15-12 to reach semifinals too, with 22 points from Ibrahim Lawani (49% in attack and 1 ace).
Meanwhile, Slovakia’s VK Slovan Bratislava eliminated Maccabi Tel-Aviv from Israel after a 1-3 (25:21, 18:25, 21:25, 21:25) win in second game played at Bratislava’s Sport Hall Gopass Arena, after a tie break defeat just 24 hours ago.
Thanks to a straight sets win in Poland, Allianz Milano needed just two sets to progress to semifinals. And they did it, taking first two sets in a clash against Poland’s Norwid Czestochowa, currently
last-placed in Plusliga.
After the homework, Milano suffered the rivals’ comeback to lose the game at tie break, 2-3 (30:28, 25:23, 21:25, 21:25, 8:15).
| PHOTOGALLERY OF THE MATCH
Despite the defeat, Ferre Reggers earned MVP honors with 18 points and a decisive performance in first two decisive sets, including two aces that closed first one.

____________________

🏆| 2025/26 CEV Challenge Cup | Quarterfinals

FIRST LEG

Tuesday February 10, 2026
📍Sportcentrum Schotte Aalst
• 20.30 (Local Time) | Lindemans Aalst (BEL) – PAOK Thessaloniki (GRE) 3-2 (25:20, 20:25, 25:27, 25:20, 15:8)
📍HSC Czestochowa
• 20.30 (Local Time) | Norwid Czestochowa (POL) – Allianz Milano (ITA) 0-3 (23:25, 20:25, 21:25)

Wednesday February 11, 2026
📍Sala Sporturilor “Gheorghe Tadici” Zalau
• 18.00 (Local Time) | SCM Zalau (ROU) – Altekma SK Izmir (TUR) 2-3 (25:19, 11:25, 25:18, 22:25, 12:15)

Tuesday February 17, 2026
📍Sport Hall Gopass Arena Bratislava
• 19.00 (Local Time) | VK Slovan Bratislava (SVK) – Maccabi Tel-Aviv (ISR) 2-3 (25:21, 19:25, 25:22, 24:26, 12:15)

_____________

SECOND LEG

Tuesday February 17, 2026
📍PAOK Palace Sport Thessaloniki
• 19.00 (Local Time) | PAOK Thessaloniki (GRE) – Lindemans Aalst (BEL) 2-3 (20:25, 21:25, 25:18, 25:23, 12:15)

👉🏼Wednesday February 18, 2026
📍Sport Hall Gopass Arena Bratislava
• 19.00 (Local Time) | Maccabi Tel-Aviv (ISR) – VK Slovan Bratislava (SVK) 1-3 (25:21, 18:25, 21:25, 21:25)
📍Atatürk Voleybol Salonu Izmir
• 19.00 (Local Time) | Altekma SK Izmir (TUR) – SCM Zalau (ROU) 2-3 (25:27, 25:21, 25:19, 23:25, 15:17) GOLDEN SET: 15-12
📍Allianz Cloud Milano
• 20.30 (Local Time) | Allianz Milano (ITA) – Norwid Czestochowa (POL) 2-3 (30:28, 25:23, 21:25, 21:25, 8:15)
| PHOTOGALLERY OF THE MATCH

____________________

👀|QUICK LINKS
• AGENDA 📝🏐
• 2025/26 CEV Challenge Cup
• Challenge Cup – All News
• All news from European Cups 🏆
• Multimedia
• Facebook
• Instagram

__________________