The Grand Slam of the battleship Conegliano or the first Champions League of the ambitious Milan? The Venetian province (a town of 35 thousand inhabitants) challenges the large metropolis (almost 1.5 million). 5 years after the last Italian derby in the final of the European cup, the challenge between two local clubs returns (7pm at the Sports Hall in Antalya, Turkey, and live on Dazn) to win the top continental competition. And as in 2019, Paola Egonu will compete for the European Cup at Imoco.
undefeated
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At the fifth final in its history in this event, Conegliano – match number 50 in 2023-2024, 47 wins and 2 losses – can complete the perfect season: after the Super Cup, Italian Cup and Scudetto, it has the opportunity to complete the poker already seen this year in the men’s field with Perugia (with the Club World Cup instead of the Champions League). Wolosz and her teammates in Italy have not known a knockout in a final since the Italian Cup played in February 2019 but on the international field they have not always managed to impose their law. Already 5 years ago they lost the European final against Novara and coincidentally, both in the last defeat for a title in Italy and in the match in Berlin there was Paola Egonu on the other side of the pitch. “It promises to be a spectacular final – summarizes Daniele Santarelli, coach of Conegliano -. I have played in some Champions League finals (3 as head coach, ed.) and I know how difficult it is to get there and win it. Both teams deserved to get to this event and for me, facing it in Turkey, the country where I coach the national team, is special. And then on the other side of the pitch I find a coach who I know well with players who have come from Conegliano in the past (Egonu, Sylla, Folie, ed.)”.
sooner or later…
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Milan hasn’t played an official match since April 10th (game 2 of the Scudetto semi-final lost against Scandicci) but in Antalya they can interrupt the negative streak against Imoco. Vero Volley is unable to stop Haak and her teammates from game 3 of the 2023 championship final (11 May). Since that day 6 consecutive knockouts (2 in the Italian series, 2 in the regular season in this championship, the Super Cup and the Italian Cup final). “After winning the CEV Cup three years ago, we are now here in Antalya to play this final, an extraordinary journey for our club. But we cannot be satisfied with having arrived here. On the other side of the net we find a team that, together at Vakifbank, he won a lot, with an important roster and a coach who made the team play to perfection. The last championship final series proved it, but we have to be very determined because we are here to bring home the Cup.” .
queens vs
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Today’s final will also feature a long-distance duel between two of the best opponents in the world: Isabelle Haak (2nd best scorer of the tournament with 221 points) and Paola Egonu (3rd with 199 points). The 24-year-old Swede was the great protagonist of the last championship final – 131 points in the 4 games with Scandicci with the pearl of the 41 scored in game 3 – while the Italian has a special feeling with this event. The 25-year-old from Cittadella has already won this trophy on three occasions: in 2019 with the Novara shirt, in 2021 with Conegliano and last season with the Turkish Vakifbank Istanbul. By winning the top European competition today for the fourth time, the Italian would surpass Francesca Piccinini and Irina Kirillova. The former won 7 Champions League with 3 different clubs (Bergamo, Casalmaggiore and Novara), the latter eight times with three clubs (1981, 1982, 1983, 1987, 1989 and 1990 with the Russians Uralocka, 1991 with the Croatians Mladost , 1999 with Bergamo).
