Skra Bełchatów, competing for sponsorship reasons as PGE GiEK Skra Bełchatów and officially called KPS Skra Bełchatów SA, is a professional men's volleyball club based in Bełchatów in central Poland, founded in 1957. They compete in the Polish PlusLiga. Skra Bełchatów is the most successful PlusLiga club based on the total number of league titles (9).
Associazione Sportiva Volley Lube is a professional volleyball team based in Treia, Italy. Since 1995 the club has been playing in the Serie A of the Italian Volleyball League. It won the Italian Championship seven times, the Italian Cup five times, and the Italian SuperCup three-times.
Ferdinando De Giorgi is an Italian professional volleyball coach and former player, a participant in the Olympic Games Seoul 1988, three–time World Champion, and the 1989 European Champion. He currently serves as head coach for the Italy national team.
Yoandy Leal Hidalgo is a volleyball player who plays as a wing-spiker for Italian club Gas Sales Piacenza. Born in Cuba, he is a former member of the Cuban national volleyball team (2007–2010), and currently represents Brazil after gaining Brazilian citizenship in June 2015.
Osmany Juantorena Portuondo is a Cuban-born Italian professional volleyball player, a member of Cuba national volleyball team in 2003–2006 and current member of Italian club Modena Volley. Juantorena was bronze medalist of the 2005 World League and silver medalist 2016 Summer Olympics. He is a multiple winner of the CEV Champions League and FIVB Club World Championship with the Italian club Trentino Volley. Juantorena is the record owner of the highest number of Most Valuable Player awards at FIVB Club World Championship, with 4 times.
Ivan Vyacheslavovich Zaytsev, nicknamed lo Zar, is an Italian professional volleyball player of Russian origin, the captain of Italy men's national volleyball team, a bronze medalist of the Olympic Games London 2012, silver medalist of the European Championship, bronze medalist of the World League, Italian Champion (2014) and silver medalist of the Olympic Games Rio 2016.
Luciano De Cecco is an Argentine professional volleyball player. He is part of the Argentine national team, a bronze medallist at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, 2015 Pan American Games winner and the 2018 Italian Champion. At the professional club level, he plays for Cucine Lube Civitanova.
Tsvetan Nikolaev Sokolov is a Bulgarian professional volleyball player who plays as an opposite spiker for Dynamo Moscow. Sokolov is a former member of the Bulgaria national team, a participant in the Olympic Games London 2012, and a multiple winner of the CEV Champions League and Club World Championship.
Marko Podraščanin is a Serbian professional volleyball player, member of the Serbia men's national volleyball team and Italian club Itas Trentino, participant of the Olympic Games, bronze medallist at the 2010 World Championship, 2011 European Champion, 2019 European Champion, gold medallist at the 2016 World League.
Dragan Stanković is a Serbian professional volleyball player, a member of Serbian national team and Italian club Modena Volley, a participant of the Olympic Games London 2012, bronze medalist of the World Championship, European Champion 2011, medalist of World League.
Amir Ghafour is an Iranian volleyball player who plays as an opposite spiker for Iranian club Shahdab Yazd. He is a former member of the Iranian national team.
Markus Steuerwald is a German former professional volleyball player, a former member of the Germany national team, a participant at the Olympic Games London 2012, 2006–07 CEV Champions League winner, and a bronze medallist at the 2014 World Championship.
Micah Makanamaikalani Christenson is an American professional volleyball player who plays as a setter for Zenit Kazan and the U.S. national team. He was a bronze medalist at the Olympic Games Rio 2016 and the 2018 World Championship; the 2014 World League and the 2015 World Cup winner.
Jiří Kovář is an Italian volleyball player of Czech origins, a member of Italy men's national volleyball team and Greek club Panathinaikos. He was silver medalist of the European Championship 2013, bronze medalist of the World League 2014, and triple Italian Champion.
Stijn D'Hulst is a Belgian professional volleyball player who plays as a setter for Knack Roeselare and the Belgium national team.
The 2016–17 CEV Champions League was the 58th edition of the highest level European volleyball club competition organised by the European Volleyball Confederation.
The 2017 FIVB Men's Club World Championship was the 13th edition of the tournament. It was held in Poland for the first time from 12 to 17 December 2017. Eight teams competed in the tournament, including two wild cards.
The 2017–18 CEV Champions League was the 59th edition of the highest level European volleyball club competition organised by the European Volleyball Confederation.
Fabio Balaso is an Italian professional volleyball player for Cucine Lube Civitanova and the Italian national team.
The 2018 FIVB Men's Club World Championship was the 14th edition of the tournament. It was held in Poland for the second straight time from 26 November to 2 December 2018. Eight teams competed in the tournament, including four wild cards.
