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Levski Sofia's path to the Champions League group stage

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VolleyWeek

October 23, 2025 at 07:13

Levski Sofia's path to the Champions League group stage

Bulgarian champion Levski Sofia begins its participation directly from the second qualifying round of the Men's Champions League 2025/26. The "Blues" will have to go through two elimination stages to reach the coveted spot among Europe's elite.

🇭🇷 Second qualifying round: Mursa Osijek (Croatia)

Levski's first opponent is the champion of Croatia — MOK Mursa Osijek.

  • First leg: November 4, 2025, Osijek

  • Second leg: November 12, 2025, Sofia

The winner is determined by the aggregate score of both matches.
Success against the Croatians will send Plamen Hristov's team to the third (final) qualifying round.

⚔️ Third qualifying round: a possible clash with Olympiacos or Guaguas Las Palmas

According to the CEV scheme, the winner of the Levski – Mursa Osijek (CLVM 23/24) match will face the winner of CLVM 21/22.
This pair includes renowned clubs such as:

  • Olympiacos Piraeus (Greece)

  • Guaguas Las Palmas (Spain)

So, if Levski overcomes Osijek, the decisive clash for entering the group stage will be against one of these two teams.

🏆 Fourth Round – Group Stage

The Champions League groups are referred to as the 4th Round in the official CEV documentation.
Confirmed participants there include:

  • Ziraat Bankkart Ankara (Turkey)

  • Trentino Itas (Italy)

  • Tours VB (France)

This is exactly the phase Levski's path leads to. If the Bulgarians successfully pass through the second and third qualifying rounds, they will join this elite and play at least six matches against leading teams from the continent.

📅 Path Summary

RoundOpponentDatesFinal Result
2nd RoundMursa Osijek (CRO)04.11 / 12.11.2025Winner 3rd Round
3rd RoundOlympiacos (GRE) / Guaguas Las Palmas (ESP)End of November 2025Winner Group Stage
4th RoundGroups with Trentino, Ziraat Bankkart, Tours VB, etc.December 2025 February 2026Main Stage

Levski Sofia's path is not easy, but it is entirely realistic. Mursa Osijek is a team without serious European experience, while Greek Olympiacos or Spanish Guaguas would be the big challenge to reach the group stage.