Historical change in tournament access

For the first time in the history of the CEV Volleyball Champions League – the most prestigious club competition on the continent – the European Volleyball Confederation (CEV) officially introduces a mechanism for"wild card". This represents a serious change in the tournament's structure, aimed at increasing the event's competitiveness, commercial value, and international visibility. These changes are reported by the authoritative websitevolleyball.it17. .

Context and motives for the change

The mechanism appears in the context of the ongoingexclusion of Russian and Belarusian clubsfrom European tournaments – a consequence of international sanctions imposed after the start of the war in Ukraine. This has left vacant quotas in the top teams phase (the fourth phase), which CEV now aims to fill through a selective, strategic approach.

What is a "wild card"?

"Wild card" providesdirect access by invitationto the tournament for clubs thathave not qualified through sporting criteria, but possess high:

• technical and sporting qualities,

• organizational capacity,

• commercial value and media appeal.

This is a tool forincreasing the level and visibilityof the tournament and is aimed at markets with high potential.

Evaluation criteria

CEV has published official rules, according to which applications will be evaluated based onseven main criteria:

1. Sporting merit

2. Quality of facilities

3. Organizational readiness

4. Commercial value - the ability of a team, event, or organization to attract revenue and interest from sponsors, media, and the public.

5. Media strategy

6. Impact on the local community

7. Compliance with CEV's ethical and environmental standards

Applications must be submitted byJune 18, 2025

Regulations and restrictions

• A "wild card" does not count towards the maximum quota of teams for a given federation - 3 for the Champions League and 5 total for all tournaments.

• However, a federation that has received a "wild card"cannot receive additional spots from zonal qualifications, if it exceeds the limit of 6 total registered teams.
  
  1. 📝 What does this mean with "quotas" and "wild card"?

  2. Each country has the right to send3. a certain number of clubs4. to European volleyball tournaments:

  • 5. Up to 3 teams6. can participate in the7. Champions League17. .

  • 9. Up to 5 teams in total10. can play in all tournaments (Champions League, CEV Cup, Challenge Cup).

  11. 🟢12. The new thing is13. that if a club receives a14. "wild card"15. (a special invitation from CEV),16. it does not count towards these quotas17. .

  18. But there's a catch:

  19. ❗ If a federation (e.g. Turkish or Italian) has already registered 6 teams, including the one with a "wild card",20. it is not allowed to add more clubsthrough additional qualifications (e.g., zonal championships like Wevza).

  📌 Example:

  If Turkey already has:

  • 3 teams in the Champions League,

  • 2 in the other cups,

  • 1 club with a wild card (total 6),

  ➡️ Itcannot enter more teams, even if someone wins an additional quota from a regional championship.

  💡 In summary:

  "Wild card" givesan additional spot, butdoes not open the door for an unlimited number of participants. CEV sets a ceiling:no more than 6 teams from one country, regardless of how they qualified.

First "rehearsal" – the case of Zeren Spor Kulübü

Although the mechanism formally comes into force for the first time in the 2025/26 season, the first practical example is already emerging.Zeren Spor Kulübü- a women's team from Ankara - has been in active dialogue with the CEV management during the Final Four in Istanbul. The club did not qualify for the Champions League, but for the Challenge Cup, but is considered to bethe first recipient of a "wild card"in women's, thanks to Turkey's strategic position as a key market.

Conclusion: Geopolitics, strategy and growth

The new "wild card" mechanism marks awatershed moment in the development of European volleyball. It opens the door to a more flexible, strategic and media-oriented approach to participant selection. With Turkey, which for the first time can send4 teams to the main tournament, the trend towards market expansion and investment in key regions is clearly emerging.

The 2025/26 season is shaping up to beunprecedentedand will likely set the tone for the future development of club volleyball in Europe.

photo: Nikolay Varadinov