14.05.2008, 12:24
Zvezda going for consolation in the CL

The Russian team hope to win the CL title after losing the domestic title to Lada.

Zvezda going for consolation in the CL

One week before their first final game in the Women’s Champions League, Zvezda Zvenigorod missed their first chance to win a title this season. The team of coach Evgeni Trefilov lost both finals in the Russian league against semi-finalist Lada Togliatti.

The first surprise was that Trefilov took a seat on the bench, though normally he should have stayed in the hospital after an operation. But his ambition was not enough for Zvezda: after losing the first leg of the best of three series on home court by 25:27 (10:10), they were also defeated in Togliatti by 29:26.

For Togliatti is was the sixth title in seven years since 2002, only interrupted by Zvezda last season when the team from the Moscow Region won for the first time. This season in Russia was very exciting until the finals. As Zvezda lost the first match ever on home court against Lada in the last round of the ground series, they started the play-offs only from third position.

But in the semi-finals were easy against Volgograd. Two victories (28:27 and 33:24). Lada had more difficulties in the semi-finals after losing the first leg in Rostov. But Lada won twice 40:31 and 37:26 exactly at the period when they lost against Hypo in the CL semi-finals.

Now Zvezda will be highly motivated for the CL finals against the Austrian champions. The first match will be played on Saturday in Russia; the second leg will be played in Wiener Neustadt on Saturday 24 May.

The team met in the Main Round before. Back then Hypo won both matches.

Zvezda showed their international class later at the away match in Győr when they qualified for the Final.

Zvezda would be the first Russian team ever to win the CL in either men’s or women’s competition.

Due to the EHF seeding list, both Russian finalist’s – Lada and Zvezda - are qualified for next season’s Champions League.

TEXT: Björn Pazen