In recent years, PlusLiga clubs have consistently reached the Champions League final. But four Polish teams in the quarterfinals is a first. Regulations typically prevented this, but Asseco Resovia Rzeszów secured an additional spot, a so-called wild card.
The Final Four in Turin will definitely feature at least one Polish team. Today in Warsaw, PGE Projekt and Bogdanka LUK Lublin will begin their competition.
Polish Competition for Champions League Semifinals. Wilfredo Leon to Play in Warsaw
The Warsaw team has provided fans with the most excitement of all the Polish teams in this edition of the Champions League. But the PGE Projekt players likely prefer the path of Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie, which hasn’t faced any problems in Europe aside from their loss to Resovia. The Warsaw side, meanwhile, worried about advancing from the group stage until the very last match, then snatched a quarterfinal berth with a golden set in Trentino.
Now, the second-place team from the PlusLiga regular season will face the third, Bogdanka LUK Lublin. The two teams met in domestic competition just 16 days ago and the Polish champions emerged victorious. Lublin, however, has recently battled significant roster issues.
Now, their coach Stephane Antiga has more options. Whereas Kewin Sasak isn’t fully fit, the former Polish national team coach can finally utilize Mateusz Malinowski. Wilfredo Leon is dealing with a hand issue, but the key player for Bogdanka LUK is ready to play. On the Warsaw side, Bartosz Gomułka has been in strong form in recent weeks, and the 23-year-vintage attacker will face another major test.
Volleyball: Tomasz Fornal Returns to Poland. Will Test Asseco Resovia Rzeszów
Asseco Resovia is making the most of its wild card. The team, coached by Massimo Bottiego, easily advanced through the additional playoff round and secured a spot in the quarterfinals. This time, however, they will face a formidable opponent in Ziraat Bankasi Ankara, a team stacked with stars.
The Turkish side features two-time Olympic champion Trevor Clevenot, outstanding attacker Nimir Abdel-Aziz, but most notably, Tomasz Fornal. The outside hitter moved to Turkey at the start of this season and stated his goal was to win the Champions League, something he couldn’t achieve with JSW Jastrzębski Węgiel.
On Wednesday, Fornal will play in a Polish arena with his club for the first time since his overseas transfer. Ziraat’s preparations for the match in Rzeszów were disrupted by their recent league opponent, Akkus Belediyesi, which forfeited the match.
Resovia, meanwhile, had a successful warm-up against Ślepsk Malow Suwałki. Bottiego’s team can rely on Artur Szalpuk, who has been playing exceptionally well this season. The matchup between Szalpuk and Fornal adds another layer of intrigue, as both players are expected to be on the Polish national team roster soon.
Italian Opposition Awaits Polish Team. Michał Winiarski Looks for Answers
Rounding out the quarterfinal matchups is the best team from the PlusLiga regular season and last year’s Champions League finalist, Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie. The team, led by Michał Winiarski, is in excellent form in 2026, a fact that wasn’t shaken by their recent five-set match against ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle – the coach treated it as an evaluation of the full squad.
Mateusz Bieniek, one of Zawiercie’s key players, was among those rested, and his performance will be crucial on Wednesday, along with Miguel Tavares and Bartosz Kwolek, the best servers on Warta. Zawiercie may be able to counter the serves of their opponents, Cucine Lube Civitanova, with their own strong serving game.
The Italian team finished sixth in the Superlega regular season but easily advanced to the semifinals of the competition, defeating Itas Trentino. In the Champions League, they already defeated PGE Projekt 3-0. Now, they will add another chapter to their history of matchups with Polish teams – Lube previously played ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle in the Champions League quarterfinals.
All three of these matchups promise to be closely contested. The fourth, featuring Sir Sicoma Monini Perugia against Guaguas Las Palmas, appears more lopsided. The advancement of the Spanish team to this stage is a surprise, Perugia, with Kamil Semeniuk in the lineup, is defending its title from last year.
Champions League Quarterfinal Schedule
Tuesday, 6:00 PM: PGE Projekt Warszawa – Bogdanka LUK Lublin, broadcast on Polsat Sport 1
Tuesday, 8:00 PM: Guaguas Las Palmas – Sir Sicoma Monini Perugia, broadcast on Polsat Sport 3
Wednesday, 6:00 PM: Asseco Resovia Rzeszów – Ziraat Bankkart Ankara, broadcast on Polsat Sport 1
Wednesday, 8:30 PM: Cucine Lube Civitanova – Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie, broadcast on Polsat Sport 1

