Today in Luxembourg, the official draw for the CEV Challenge Cup 2026, the third strongest European club volleyball tournament, took place. This event marked the start of the long-awaited competition, which once again brings together clubs from numerous national championships, ready to demonstrate ambition, class, and fighting spirit at a continental level.
The tournament will once again provide a stage for both rising talents and proven teams eager for international recognition.
🇮🇹 Megabox Vallefoglia – a new European debut with two Bulgarian stars
✍️ European debut and a Bulgarian trace
Megabox Ond. Savio Vallefoglia from Italy will make an absolute debut in European club tournaments, bringing the Marche region back to continental competitions for the first time since Urbino's participation in the 2012-13 season. The draw was extremely favorable to the Italian team – Vallefoglia directly qualified for the 1/16 finals, without playing a 1/32 final.
👭 With Mika Stoyanova and Tsvetomira Mitkova
It is particularly interesting that Vallefoglia will rely on two former volleyball players fromLevski Sofia:
Mikaela Stoyanova (Mika Stoyanova) – 1.93 m opposite, one of the great hopes of Bulgarian volleyball, who impressed with her performances at Levski and in the previous edition of the Challenge Cup.Tsvetomira Mitkova (Tsvetomira Mitkova) – 1.87 m middle blocker, also a product of the "blues" academy.
The two are already starting a new chapter in their careers and will fight to make their mark in Europe with the Vallefoglia team.⚔️ Who will Vallefoglia play against?
The Italian debutant will face the winner of the match between:
Serbian GZOK Srem Sremska Mitrovica and
the champion of the Balkan Volleyball Association Cup (BVA Cup), who will be determined in September, in the 1/16 finals (between November 25 and December 4).
This gives them a relatively smooth entry into the tournament and a chance to confidently enter the European stage.
🇧🇬 Levski Sofia and their path in the Challenge Cup
Това им дава относително плавен вход в турнира и шанс да навлязат уверено в европейската сцена.
🇧🇬 Левски София и пътят им в Challenge Cup
Bulgarian participation
The Bulgarian club Levski Sofia will once again represent our country in the CEV Challenge Cup. The team will start from the 1/32 finals, where they will face Swiss VBC Cheseaux. The first legs are scheduled between October 28 and 30, and the second legs between November 4 and 6.
If they advance past this phase, Levski will have an even more serious opponent in the 1/16 finals - the Spanish Hidramar Gran Canaria, one of the leading teams in the Spanish Superliga.
