The 2018–19 CEV Champions League was the highest level of European club volleyball in the 2018–19 season and the 59th edition.
Qualification
A total of 20 teams participate in the main competition, with 18 teams being allocated direct vacancies on the basis of ranking list for European Cups Competitions and 2 teams qualify from the qualification rounds. Drawing of lots for the pools composition was held on 2 November 2018.
RankCountryNo. teamsQualified teamsTotal13-3Eczacıbaşı VitrA IstanbulFenerbahçe SK IstanbulVakıfbank Istanbul23-3Igor Gorgonzola NovaraImoco Volley ConeglianoSavino Del Bene Scandicci33-3Dinamo KazanDinamo MoscowUralochka-NTMK Ekaterinburg4213Chemik PoliceŁKS Commercecon ŁódźBudowlani Łódź62-2Béziers VBRC Cannes81-1CSM București9112SSC Palmberg SchwerinAllianz MTV Stuttgart131-1Minchanka Minsk141-1Maritza Plovdiv151-1Hämeenlinna
Format League round A round-robin format (each team plays every other team in its pool twice, once home and once away) where the 20 participating teams are drawn into 5 pools of 4 teams each. The five pool winners and the best three second placed teams among all pools qualify for the .
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 8 qualified teams are each draw into the quarter-finals with the round winners advancing to the next rounds (semifinals and final). Matches in the quarter-finals and semifinals consists 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 further in the tournament. In case 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).
Grand finale A single match between the winners of the semifinals in a neutral venue decides the tournament champion.
Pools composition Drawing of lots was held on 2 November 2018, the 20 teams are divided in 4 pots of 5 teams each, with one team per pot being draw into each of the 5 pools (A, B, C, D, E).
Pot 1Pot 2Pot 3Pot 4 Vakıfbank Istanbul (Turkey 1) Imoco Volley Conegliano (Italy 1) Dinamo Moscow (Russia 1) Eczacıbaşı VitrA Istanbul (Turkey 2) Igor Gorgonzola Novara (Italy 2) Chemik Police (Poland 1) Béziers VB (France 1) Dinamo Kazan (Russia 2) ŁKS Commercecon Łódź (Poland 2) RC Cannes (France 2) CSM București (Romania 1) SSC Palmberg Schwerin (Germany 1) Minchanka Minsk (Belarus 1) Maritza Plovdiv (Bulgaria 1) Hämeenlinna (Finland 1) Fenerbahçe SK Istanbul (Turkey 3) Savino Del Bene Scandicci (Italy 3) Uralochka-NTMK Ekaterinburg (Russia 3) Allianz MTV Stuttgart (Germany 2) Budowlani Łódź (Poland 3)
Draw Pool APool BPool CPool DPool E Vakıfbank Istanbul Eczacıbaşı VitrA Istanbul Igor Gorgonzola Novara Imoco Volley Conegliano Dinamo Moscow Béziers VB Dinamo Kazan RC Cannes ŁKS Commercecon Łódź Chemik Police Maritza Plovdiv Hämeenlinna Minchanka Minsk SSC Palmberg Schwerin CSM București Allianz MTV Stuttgart Budowlani Łódź Savino Del Bene Scandicci Fenerbahçe SK Istanbul
League round The league round started on 20 November 2018. All times are local.
Pool A
Pool B
Pool C
Pool D
Pool E
Playoff round Drawing of lots was held in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg on 1 March 2019. Quarter-finals
First leg
Second leg
Semifinals
First leg
Second leg
Final
References
External links Official website