Europe’s top club ready for 2026 Champions League Final Four in Torino!

“We are here to battle, to play our best Volleyball“!
The best of volleyball on a club level, fresh from domestic success, Italian champions (and CEV Champions League defending champions as well) Sir Sicoma Monini Perugia, Turkish champions Ziraat Bankkart Ankara, Polish champions Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie and Poland’s bronze medalists PGE Projekt Warszawa, is ready to compete in Torino with the same goal: to claim the most prestigious trophy.

On Friday morning, team captains and coaches met the media ahead of the decisive weekend, speaking about their ambitions and readiness as the race for the Champions League trophy enters its final chapter.
The CEV Champions League Volley 2026 Men’s Final Four weekend in Torino will open with a semifinal clash between PGE Projekt Warszawa and defending champions Sir Sicoma Monini Perugia at 17:00 CEST and, for the team from the Polish capital, reaching the Final Four already marks a historic achievement.

“I’m really happy that we are here because the road to Torino was not easy for our team,” said Warszawa captain Damian Wojtaszek.
“I’m also happy that we have two teams from Poland here. Last year we were really close – just one step away from the Final Four – but we lost against Halkbank in the Golden Set. This year, the quarterfinal against Lublin was also really tough, especially playing against Leon, but we managed to win and now we are here, ready to play in the semifinals.”

The captain of defending champions Sir Sicoma Monini Perugia, Simone Giannelli, stated that the Italian side is fully aware of the challenge awaiting them despite playing almost at home in Torino.

“I’m very happy to play here in Italy, in Torino, at the Inalpi Arena,” he said.
“Last year we won the Champions League trophy and it was an amazing journey for us because it was the first title for Perugia, and also for me personally, so it was incredible. This year it was not easy to get here either because the Champions League is such a difficult competition. You have to play throughout the whole season and travel a lot. We are very happy to be here, but now we have to focus on tomorrow’s match against Warszawa, which has been a very strong team in recent years. They beat great teams in Poland and were close to the Final Four last season. We are here to battle, to play our best volleyball, and we will see what happens.”

Last year’s silver medalists Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie are once again among Europe’s top four teams and will face Ziraat Bankkart Ankara in Saturday’s second semifinal, at 20.30.

“We are very happy to be here because this is our second time in the Champions League Final Four, and it shows that we did a good job,” said captain Mateusz Bieniek.
“In my opinion, we will face a very strong team in the semifinal, one that has not lost a single match in the Champions League this season. It will definitely be a difficult game. We are in a good rhythm after winning the Polish championship a few days ago, so we did not have a long break. We are ready and cannot wait for the semifinal.”

For Ziraat Bankkart Ankara, just like for Projekt Warszawa, this is a first-ever appearance in the Final Four. However, their captain Nimir Abdel-Aziz already has experience on Europe’s biggest stage, having previously played in two Champions League finals – with two italian clubs, Cuneo in 2013 in Omsk and Trentino in 2021 in Verona.

“The final in Omsk was a really long time ago, and back then I was still a setter, so it was completely different,” he laughed. “Then there was another final with Angelo and Simone, but unfortunately we couldn’t win. I’m really happy to be here again. It’s a great achievement for our club. Until now we have had a really nice season, but what happened before does not matter anymore because this weekend is a completely new story. We are happy to be here, and we are going to give our best and try to achieve a good result.”

PGE Projekt Warszawa head coach Kamil Nalepka took over the team in January and, at just 30 years old, guided the club to its first-ever Final Four appearance in his debut season as head coach.

“It’s a pleasure for me to sit next to coaches of this level,” he said. “This season has been a roller coaster for us. We qualified from third place in the group, then had to face Trentino in two very tough playoff matches and a Golden Set, before playing the quarterfinals against Lublin. Our road to Torino was really difficult and full of emotions, but I’m happy because I work with very experienced players and I just try to help them. They also helped me a lot so that we could be here today. It’s the first Final Four for the club, so we are very happy.”

Sir Sicoma Monini Perugia head coach Angelo Lorenzetti, who finally lifted the Champions League trophy last year after chasing it for more than two decades, underlined that his team arrived in Torino not to defend a title, but to win another one.

“I am very happy and grateful to be surrounded by younger coaches, and I’m also grateful to my players because they give me another opportunity to experience emotions like these and to be part of an event of this caliber,” he said.
“We are here not to defend the trophy we won last year, but to try to go home with another trophy. All of the teams arrived here highly motivated and with great confidence coming from their domestic success. Technically, these teams are very similar to the ones that competed last year in Łódź, but the overall level is even higher because of those domestic achievements. I hope everybody will keep smiling from the first point to the last point, and I trust my players to perform at their best from start to finish.”

Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie head coach Michał Winiarski, who recently guided the club to its first-ever Polish championship title, highlighted the importance of enjoying the occasion despite the pressure of the event.

“For us, it’s an amazing feeling to be in the Champions League Final Four for the second year in a row,” he stated.
“It proves that we are a very good team. Over the last two years we worked really hard to reach the Final Four and now we achieved it again, which is an amazing result. What is also important for us is to enjoy being here. In tournaments like this, it’s important to feel the atmosphere but also to enjoy the moment. Everybody here wants to win, but these are very strong teams. I believe the team that enjoys the game more and plays with more freedom and confidence will have the best chance to win.”

Ziraat Bankkart Ankara head coach Mustafa Kavaz pointed to the long-term work behind the club’s rise to the European elite, while stating that everything now comes down to the matches ahead in Torino.

“We are proud to be here,” he said.
“The club invested a lot of time, effort and resources into this project. The process started six years ago, and reaching this point shows that we are moving in the right direction. We also had very good previous seasons, so we are happy to see the results of our work. I want to thank my players and staff because their performances brought us here and that is why we are excited to be part of this Final Four. But now everything starts from zero again. This is a completely different journey. We are playing against great and respected teams, so it will not be easy. Still, as always, we want to show our best until the very last point and fight even harder than we did during the Turkish League season.”

Source: CEV

____________________

👀|QUICK LINKS
• AGENDA 📝🏐
• 2025/26 CEV CHAMPIONS LEAGUE – CALENDAR
• All news from European Cups 🏆
• Multimedia
• Facebook
• Instagram

___________________