The excitement is set to soar as the CEV Women's Champions League kicks off its 65th season on Tuesday, bringing together Europe's elite volleyball clubs.
The rich history of the tournament and the 2024-2025 season come alive as Türkiye is represented by Eczacıbaşı Dynavit, Fenerbahçe Medicana and VakıfBank, each eager to leave their mark in this prestigious competition.
The three Turkish clubs will take to the court for their opening matches on Nov. 6 in Istanbul.
Eczacıbaşı Dynavit will host Serbia's Tent Obrenovac in Group B, while Fenerbahçe welcome Polish side PGE Grot Budowlani in Group D.
Meanwhile, VakıfBank, competing in Group C, face Slovenia's Calcit Kamnik.
This season features 20 teams divided into five groups of four.
Group matches will conclude on Jan. 22, 2025.
The top team from each group will advance directly to the quarterfinals, while the second-placed teams and the best third-place team will enter playoffs for a spot in the next round.
Teams that excel in the quarterfinals will secure their place in the Final Four.
Turkish teams have dominated the tournament recently, claiming eight championships in the past 13 seasons.
VakıfBank leads the charge with six titles, while Eczacıbaşı Dynavit and Fenerbahçe have each celebrated victory once.
Notably, VakıfBank won their first title in the 2011 Final Four held in Istanbul, and Fenerbahçe followed suit in Baku in 2012.
In 2013, VakıfBank once again claimed the trophy in Istanbul, adding to its impressive legacy.
Eczacıbaşı earned Türkiye its fourth title in 2015 in Szczecin, Poland, further solidifying the nation’s strong presence in European volleyball.
However, the CEV Champions League faced disruption during the 2019-2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
More recently, VakıfBank secured titles in both the 2022 and 2023 seasons, while Imoco Volley captured championships in 2021 and 2024.
This season marks a return to the traditional Final Four format after a hiatus since the 2017-2018 season, moving away from the Super Final format that was adopted in 2019.
The last Final Four saw VakıfBank triumph, while Galatasaray finished fourth in Bucharest.
Since its inception in the 1960-1961 season as the Champions Cup, the CEV Champions League has featured 26 different champions over its 64 seasons.
Dinamo Moscow holds the record for the most titles, with 11 championships, all secured during the Soviet era.
Following closely is Uralochka, which boasts eight titles, and Italy's Volley Bergamo with seven championships.
Historically, Soviet teams have dominated the women's CEV Champions League, winning 22 titles, while Italian teams have claimed 18.
Turkish teams have made their mark with eight championships, followed by Bulgaria and Russia, each with three.
