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FIVB
$15 Million World League
Brazil edges
Serbia and Montenegro in the tightest of finals tiebreakers
 Madrid, July 13, 2003 - Brazil brought the carnival to town on
Sunday when they met Serbia and Montenegro to fight for the
coveted title of the FIVB $15 million World League but the
result went down to the wire - and the tiebreaker - in what
turned out to be a superb display of the modern game that really
finished with two superb winners. Brazil took the title 3-2
(25-16, 21-25, 19-25, 25-23, 31-29 in just seven minutes shy of
two hours. More Spanish
German
French
Match Stats
Pools announced for Finals in Madrid
 Lausanne,
Switzerland, June, 30, 2003 – Lots have been drawn for the eight
team to contest the final of the FIVB $15 million World League
to commence July 8 in the Spanish capital Madrid, it was
announced at FIVB headquarters on Monday evening.
The
teams will play in two pools in the preliminary phase of the
tournament with hosts Spain playing Serbia and Montenegro, Czech
Republic and Greece in Pool E, while in Pool F, Brazil, Russia,
Italy and Bulgaria will battle for a spot in the final four. The
FIVB World League is the premier men’s annual volleyball
competition and the richest purse in the sport. German
Spanish Pic: Will
Russia be able to defend their 2002 World League title?
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POOL E |
POOL F |
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ESP – GRE
YUG – CZE |
BRA – BUL
RUS – ITA |
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GRE – CZE
ESP – YUG |
BUL – ITA
BRA – RUS |
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YUG – GRE
CZE – ESP |
RUS – BUL
ITA – BRA |
FINAL ROUND
Daily Competition Calendar
Tuesday, July 8: 10:30
h. YUG–CZE;
13:00 h. BRA–BUL;
17:30 h. RUS–ITA; 20:00 h. ESP –
GRE
Wednesday,
July 9:
10:30 h. BUL–ITA;
13:00 h.
GRE–CZE;
17:30 h.
BRA–RUS;
20:00 h. ESP – YUG
Thursday
July 10:
10:30 h. BUL–RUS;
13:00 h. YUG–GRE;
17:30 h. ITA–BRA;
20:00 h. CZE – ESP
World
League – from strength to strength
The $15 Million World League continues to blaze a trail as the
richest and most significant annual international men’s
Volleyball tournament pitting the top 16 teams in the world
against each other during six gripping weeks of the
Intercontinental Rounds, in 2003 culminating in the final
tournament of the “Elite Eight” in the Spanish capital Madrid.
Some 561,441 spectators were drawn to the 2002 World League, which
also attracted a record-breaking almost 900 hours of television
coverage as the tournament continues to engrave its name in the
essential international sports calendar. This year, the 14th
edition of this important event will be the perfect curtain raiser
for the FIVB World Cups in Japan (November 2003) where the top
three teams qualify directly for the Athens 2004 Olympic Games
Argentina
out, Czech Republic in; China withdraw, Bulgaria in.
Click
here for Press release
FIVB
Board of Administration
Argentina will not participate in World League
Click
here for Press release
Calendar
for 2003 World League
Sixteen teams in four
pools will play off the Intercontinental Round matches, with
Pools A, B, and C commencing on the weekend of May 23-25, with
Pool D starting one week earlier (May 16-18).
Following the success of the 2002 edition, which concluded for
the final round in Brazil in August, and drawing on elements
of promotion and entertainment also used successfully at the
just concluded 2002 Men's World Championship in Argentina, the
Council ruled that stadium entertainment, venue decoration and
the use of animated mascots would now become a requirement for
the World League.
Pools
Pool A: Russia, Poland, Spain, Venezuela
Pool B: Brazil, Italy, Portugal, Germany
Pool C: Serbia and Montenegro, Netherlands, Cuba, Bulgaria
Pool D: France, Czech Republic, Greece, Japan
Competition format
All teams in the pool play against each other, both home and
away, during the Intercontinental Round. Top eight teams
advance to the final round.
The team of the organizing country of the Final Round will be
automatically qualified.
In case that the team of the organizing country is not among
the 8 qualified teams, the lowest second ranked team of the
Intercontinental Round will be eliminated and replaced by the
organizer. Spain is the candidate country to host the final
round.
Match schedule:
Pool A
May 23-25: Spain vs. Poland; Venezuela vs. Russia
May 30-June 1: Russia vs. Spain; Venezuela vs. Poland
June 6-June 8: Poland vs. Venezuela; Spain vs. Russia
June 13-15: Russia vs. Venezuela; Poland vs. Spain
June 20-22: Poland vs. Russia; Spain vs. Venezuela
June 26-28: Russia vs. Poland; Venezuela vs. Spain
Pool B
May 23-25: Brazil vs. Germany; Italy vs. Portugal
May 30 June 1: Italy vs. Brazil; Portugal vs. Germany
June 6-8: Portugal vs. Brazil; Germany vs. Italy
June 13-15: Portugal vs. Italy; Germany vs. Brazil
June 20-22: Brazil vs. Italy; Germany vs. Portugal
June 26-28: Brazil vs. Portugal; Italy vs. Germany
Pool C
May 23-25: Netherlands vs. Serbia and Montenegro; Bulgaria vs. Cuba
May 30- June 1: Serbia and Montenegro vs. Bulgaria: Netherlands vs. Cuba
June 6-8: Netherlands vs. Bulgaria; Cuba vs. Serbia and
Montenegro
June 13-15: Serbia and Montenegro vs. Cuba; Bulgaria vs. Netherlands
June 20-22: Cuba vs. Netherlands; Bulgaria vs. Serbia and
Montenegro
June 26-28: Serbia and Montenegro vs. Netherlands; Cuba vs.
Bulgaria
Pool D
May 16-18: France vs. Czech Republic; Greece vs. Japan
May 23-25: France vs. Japan; Greece vs. Czech Republic
May 30 - June 1: Czech Republic vs. France; Japan vs. Greece
June 6-8: Czech Republic vs. Japan; Greece vs. France
June 13-15: France vs. Greece; Japan vs. Czech Republic
June 20-22: Czech Republic vs. Greece; Japan vs. France
World League finals:
Tuesday July 8 - Sunday July 13 2003
Tuesday, July 8: 10:30
h. YUG–CZE;
13:00 h. BRA–BUL;
17:30 h. RUS–ITA; 20:00 h. ESP –
GRE
Wednesday,
July 9:
10:30 h. BUL–ITA;
13:00 h.
GRE–CZE;
17:30 h.
BRA–RUS;
20:00 h. ESP – YUG
Thursday
July 10:
10:30 h. BUL–RUS;
13:00 h. YUG–GRE;
17:30 h. ITA–BRA;
20:00 h. CZE – ESP
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Above:
Vistalegre Stadium, inaugurated in 2000, which also
hosts basketball and bullfights (Capacity 15,000)
Below: Stadium Foyer
The World League Finals heat up MARCA and Madrid
The posters used to
advertise the finals in Madrid
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Madrid, July 13, 2003 - Brazil brought the carnival to town on
Sunday when they met Serbia and Montenegro to fight for the
coveted title of the FIVB $15 million World League but the
result went down to the wire - and the tiebreaker - in what
turned out to be a superb display of the modern game that really
finished with two superb winners. Brazil took the title 3-2
(25-16, 21-25, 19-25, 25-23, 31-29 in just seven minutes shy of
two hours. More Spanish
German
French
Match Stats