PGE Skra Belchatow are one of the two clubs awarded a Wild Card to compete in the 2017 FIVB Men’s Club World Championship (the other being China’s Shanghai Volleyball Club).
It is the club’s fourth appearance in the premier international club competition – and they have made the podium on all three previous appearances (all in Doha), even though the world title still eludes them.
PGE Skra Belchatow lost in the finals of 2009 and 2010, both to Italy’s Trentino Diatec to end up with silver. They again made the medals round in 2012, but lost to Brazil’s Sada Cruzeiro Contagem in five sets in the semifinals before beating Russia’s Zenit Kazan also in five sets to take bronze.
The club was founded in 1930 in the town of Belchatow, just south of Lodz where they will be playing their pool matches in the 2017 FIVB Men’s Club World Championship.
PGE Skra Belchatow have won two bronze medals in 2008 and 2010 followed by a silver in 2012 (when they lost to Zenit Kazan in five sets in the final) in the European Champions League.
Domestically they have won eight Polish national titles since their first in 2005. After last claiming gold in 2014, they were third in 2015 and 2016 and runners-up to ZAKSA Kiedzerzyn-Kozle this year.