The 2025/2026 season will be the last one in which the Volleyball Champions League will be held in the familiar format with a group stage. From 2026/2027, CEV plans radical changes that could open new opportunities for Bulgarian clubs 🇧🇬. These changes have been widely discussed in the corridors of the Final Four in Lodz. Blogger Jakub Balcerzak also hinted at them on the X platform.

🔹"Wild card" – a chance for a Bulgarian team?
The return of so-called "wild card" invitations is expected. This could provide an additional opportunity for leading Bulgarian teams to participate in Europe's most prestigious club tournament, even if they fail to secure a quota through the national championship.

🔹End of the group stage
The new format will resemble that of the Football Champions League – with more direct matches from an early stage. This will make every match crucial and significantly more attractive for fans.

🔹Final Four with a permanent host?
CEV is considering a two-year hosting of the Final Four in the same country or city. This gives ambitious cities – why not Sofia, Burgas or Varna – the opportunity to apply and host the best volleyball clubs on the continent.

🔹Merging of CEV Cup and Challenge Cup
The two European cups will merge into one competition. The winner will receive direct promotion to the next edition of the Champions League. For Bulgarian teams, this is a real and achievable path to the elite 🌍.

🔹Russia remains out of the picture
Despite persistent attempts by the Russian federation, it currently appears that teams from Russia will not be admitted next season – neither in the Champions League nor in the other club tournaments.

📌 CEV is yet to officially announce all the details of the reforms. For Bulgarian clubs, however, one thing is clear – if they work purposefully, the new system can open the doors to the most prestigious stage in European volleyball.