Krakow, Poland, December 16, 2017 – Italy’s Cucine Lube Civitanova hope to reach the 2017 FIVB Volleyball Men’s Club World Championship final on their debut, while opponents Skra Belchatow aim for their third finals appearance.
Head-to-head
• Lube Civitanova and Skra Belchatow meet for the first time in the men's world club championship.
• This is Lube Civitanova's first appearance at the club world championship and they have already faced a Polish opponent in the Preliminary Rounds, as they beat Zaksa Kedzierzyn-Kozle 3-2 on 13 December.
• Skra Belchatow lost both their previous club world championship matches against Italian opponents, as they lost 3-0 and 3-1 against Trentino Betclic in the 2009 and 2010 finals, respectively.
Cucine Lube Civitanova
• Lube Civitanova are hoping to reach the club world championship final on their debut.
• The last team to reach the final on their debut was Belogorie Belgorod, who won the tournament in 2014.
• Italian sides have won the men's club world championship a record eight times, all in the first eight editions (1989-2012). No Italian teams has reached the final since.
• Lube Civitanova have lost only two sets in the men's world club championship, but that happened against a Polish opponent as they beat Zaksa Kedzierzyn-Kozle 3-2 on 13 December.
Skra Belchatow
• Skra Belchatow are hoping to reach the club world championship final for the third time, after 2009 and 2010.
• They lost both those finals to Trentino Betclic, 3-0 in 2009 and 3-1 in 2010.
• Skra Belchatow won two of their previous three semifinals, but lost their most recent one: 3-2 against Sada Cruzeiro Volei in 2012.
• Skra Belchatow lost their most recent match, 3-0 versus Zenit Kazan on 14 December.
• They can lose successive club world championship matches for the first time in team history.