2015–16 CEV Champions League


The 2015–16 CEV Champions League was the highest level of European club volleyball in the season and the 57th edition.

Participating teams

The number of participants on the basis of ranking list for European Cup Competitions:
RankCountryNumber of teamsTeams
13Zenit Kazan
Belogorie Belgorod
Dinamo Moscow
23Trentino Diatec
DHL Modena
Cucine Lube Civitanova
32+1Asseco Resovia Rzeszów
Lotos Trefl Gdańsk
PGE Skra Bełchatów
42+1Arkas Izmir
Halkbank Ankara
Ziraat Bankası Ankara
52+1Knack Roeselare
Volley Asse-Lennik
Noliko Maaseik
62Tours VB
Paris Volley
72VfB Friedrichshafen
Berlin Recycling Volleys
81Tomis Constanța
91PAOK Thessaloniki
101Dukla Liberec
111Hypo Tirol Innsbruck
121ACH Volley Ljubljana
131Marek Union-Ivkoni Dupnitsa
141#Dragons Lugano
151Budvanska Rivijera Budva
160+1Vojvodina NS Seme Novi Sad

W/C = Wild Card

Format

League round

28 teams have been drawn to 7 pools of 4 teams each.
In each pool, the competition is organised on the basis of a double round-robin system. Each team will thus play 6 matches: twice against each opponent.
In the League Round, the placing of the teams is determined by the number of matches won.
In case of a tie in the number of matches won by two or more teams, they will be ranked on the basis of the following criteria:
Match points are awarded as follows:
12 teams will qualify for the Playoff 12:
After the end of the League Round, the organizer of the Final Four will be determined. That team will qualify directly for the Final Four. It will be replaced in Playoff 12 by the next best second-ranked team.
The remaining second-ranked team as well 3 third-ranked teams with the best score will move to the Challenge Round of the CEV Cup.
The remaining third-ranked and all fourth-ranked teams will be eliminated.

Playoffs

The playoffs will consist of two rounds: Playoff 12 and Playoff 6. Each round is played in two legs.
If the teams are tied after two legs, a "Golden Set" is played. The winner is the team that first obtains 15 points, provided that the points difference between the two teams is at least 2 points.
At each leg, points are awarded to the teams in the same manner as in the Group Round. So, if team A defeat team B in the first leg 3:0 and lose in the second leg 1:3, team A does not advance to the next round, but the two teams are tied with 3 points each, and a Golden Set is played.
The three teams that win in Playoff 6 round advance to the Final Four along with the organizer of the Final Four.

Pools composition

The drawing of lots was held in Vienna, Austria on 2 July 2015. The 28 participated teams of the competition were divided by 4 pots based on the latest European Cups Ranking List and their National Rankings. Exception, the teams which received wild cards had to be in the 4th pot.
Pool APool BPool CPool D
Belogorie Belgorod Dinamo Moscow Trentino Diatec Zenit Kazan
Arkas Izmir Paris Volley Tours VB Halkbank Ankara
Berlin Recycling Volleys VfB Friedrichshafen PAOK Thessaloniki Hypo Tirol Innsbruck
Marek Union-Ivkoni Dupnitsa Ziraat Bankası Ankara Noliko Maaseik Budvanska Rivijera Budva

League round

Pool B

Pool C

Pool D

Pool E

Pool F

Pool G

Ranking of second and third placed teams

The first 7 teams are 2nd placed teams. The other teams are 3rd placed teams.

Playoffs

PoolWinnersRunners-up
A Belogorie Belgorod Arkas Izmir
B Ziraat Bankası Ankara
C Trentino Diatec Tours VB
D Zenit Kazan Halkbank Ankara
E Cucine Lube Civitanova PGE Skra Bełchatów
F DHL Modena Lotos Trefl Gdańsk
G Asseco Resovia Rzeszów Euphony Asse-Lennik

First leg

Second leg

Playoff 6

First leg

Second leg

Final four

3rd place match

Final

Final standing

RankTeam
Zenit Kazan
Trentino Diatec
Cucine Lube Civitanova
4 Asseco Resovia Rzeszów

Qualified for the 2016 FIVB Volleyball Men's Club World Championship

2015–16 CEV Champions League winner

Zenit Kazan
4th title

Awards