Press release

Bolzano, Italy, March 27, 2011 – The 2010 FIVB Men's Club World champions Trentino BetClic of Italy completed a hat-trick of CEV Champions League titles on Sunday with a 3-1 (25-17, 20-25, 25-23, 25-20) victory over Zenit Kazan of Russia in Bolzano.

Trentino's win means they will now go on to defend their Men's Club World Championship later this year, having become the first team to earn a ticket to the 2011 event in Qatar. And after their performance at the weekend, they will be looking to complete a hat-trick on the world stage as well.

Tournament MVP Osmany Juantorena of Cuba and Trentino captain Matey Kaziyski of Bulgaria proved instrumental in the victory as Radostin Stoytchev's side became the first to win the tournament three times in a row since VC CSKA Moskva, who triumphed four years running from 1985-89 when the competition was known as the CEV Champions Cup. Russia's Dynamo Moscow clinched bronze as they saw off Poland's Jastrzebski Wegiel 3-1 (23-25, 25-22, 25-16, 25-21).

Trentino stormed into the lead in the final, taking the first set with some confident play. In the second set Kazan took the lead before Trentino staged a comeback but the Italian team's receiving then went badly awry, allowing Kazan to bring the scores level.

The third set was a see-saw affair with the lead changing hands until Juantorena and Kaziyski put the eventual champions in control with a pair of stunning spikes and they duly regained the advantage at 2-1. Kazan's commitment levels did not flag and they kept the score close in the fourth set. With little between the sides at the second technical time out, the set looked to be going down to the wire but Juantorena had other ideas, the Cuban's jump serves carrying Trentino to a third crown to the delight of the Italian crowd.