The CEV Champions League was the highest level of European club volleyball in the 2016–17 season and the 57th edition. The Turkish club VakıfBank Istanbul won its third title and qualified to the 2017 FIVB Club World Championship as European champion, besides being already invited by the FIVB, along with Eczacıbaşı VitrA and Voléro Zürich. The Italian club Imoco Volley Conegliano won the silver medal and Turkish Eczacıbaşı VitrA claimed the bronze medal. The Chinese Zhu Ting from VakıfBank Istanbul was awarded Most Valuable Player. Fourth placed club, Dinamo Moscow later received the last wild card to the Club World Championship by the FIVB.
Qualification
A total of 16 team participate of the main competition, with 12 teams being allocated direct vacancies on the basis of ranking list for European Cup Competitions and 4 teams qualified from the qualification rounds.
RankCountryNo. teamsQualified teamsTotal1213Eczacıbaşı VitrA IstanbulFenerbahçe SK IstanbulVakıfBank Istanbul2213Dinamo KrasnodarDinamo MoscowUralochka-NTMK Ekaterinburg3112 Chemik PoliceMKS Dąbrowa Górnicza42-2Azerrail BakuTelekom Baku51-1Saint-Raphaël Var VB6112Imoco Volley ConeglianoLiu Jo Nordmeccanica Modena71-1Dresdner SC81-1Voléro Zürich91-1CS Volei Alba Blaj
1.Team qualified via Champions League qualification round.
Format League round A round-robin format (each team plays every other team in its pool twice, once home and once away) where 16 teams were drawn to 4 pools of 4 teams each. Pool winners and two second place with the best results qualified for the . The organizer of the were determined during the League Round and qualified directly for the Final Four.
The standings is determined by the number of matches won. In case of a tie in the number of matches won by two or more teams, their ranking is based on the following criteria: result points (points awarded for results: 3 points for 3–0 or 3–1 wins, 2 points for 3–2 win, 1 point for 2–3 loss); set quotient (the number of total sets won divided by the number of total sets lost); points quotient (the number of total points scored divided by the number of total points lost); results of head-to-head matches between the teams in question.
Playoffs A knockout format where the 6 qualified teams are each draw into one of the 3 matches with each match consisting of two legs (home and away). Result points are awarded for each leg (3 points for 3–0 or 3–1 wins, 2 points for 3–2 win, 1 point for 2–3 loss). After two legs, the team with the most result points advances to the . In case the teams are tied after two legs, a is played immediately at the completion of the second leg. The Golden Set winner is the team that first obtains 15 points, provided that the points difference between the two teams is at least 2 points (thus, the Golden Set is similar to a tiebreak set in a normal match).
Final Four A single-elimination format where the three winners of the Playoffs are joined by the Final Four hosts and draw to play the semifinals (winners advance to the final and losers to the 3rd place match). In case two teams from the same country qualify for the semifinals, they will play each other.
Pools composition Drawing of lots was held in Rome, Italy on 9 June 2016.
Pool APool BPool CPool D Chemik Police Dinamo Moscow Azerrail Baku VakıfBank Istanbul Imoco Volley Conegliano Voléro Zürich Saint-Raphaël Var VB Dresdner SC Telekom Baku CS Volei Alba Blaj Fenerbahçe SK Istanbul Uralochka-NTMK Ekaterinburg Liu Jo Nordmeccanica Modena Dinamo Krasnodar MKS Dąbrowa Górnicza Eczacıbaşı VitrA Istanbul
Squads
League round All times are local.
Pool A
Pool B
Pool C
Pool D
Playoffs Drawing of lots was held in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg on 3 March 2017. All times are local.
Playoff 6
First leg
Second leg
Final four Organizer: Imoco Volley Conegliano Venue: PalaVerde, Treviso, Italy All times are Central European Summer Time (UTC+02:00). In case that two teams from the same country qualify for the semifinals, they will have to play each other.
Semifinals
3rd place match
Final
Final standing
RankTeam VakıfBank Istanbul (C) Imoco Volley Conegliano Eczacıbaşı VitrA Istanbul4 Dinamo Moscow5 Voléro Zürich Fenerbahçe SK Istanbul Liu Jo Nordmeccanica Modena8 Azerrail Baku9 Chemik Police Dinamo Krasnodar MKS Dąbrowa Górnicza Uralochka-NTMK Ekaterinburg13 Telekom Baku CS Volei Alba Blaj Saint-Raphaël Var VB Dresdner SC
(C) Qualified for the 2017 FIVB Club World Championship
Roster for Final FourÖrge, Kırdar Sonsırma, Özbay, Zhu, Akman Çalışkan, Gürkaynak, ykaç, Slöetjes, Aydemir Akyol, Yurtdagülen, Durul, Hill, Rašić, ÇetinHead coachGuidetti
Awards
Most valuable player Zhu Ting (VakıfBank Istanbul) Best setter Naz Aydemir (VakıfBank Istanbul) Best outside spikers Kelsey Robinson (Imoco Volley Conegliano) Kimberly Hill (VakıfBank Istanbul) Best middle blockers Milena Rasic (VakıfBank Istanbul) Rachael Adams (Eczacıbaşı VitrA) Best opposite spiker Lonneke Sloetjes (VakıfBank Istanbul) Best libero Monica De Gennaro (Imoco Volley Conegliano)
References
External links
Official website