Novara, Italy, October 23, 2015. Igor Gorgonzola NOVARA is ready for its debut in the CEV Denizbank Champions League. The blue girls will visit the twice past European Champions of Vakifbank ISTANBUL on October 28 before hosting the rookies Calcit LJUBLJANA on November 11 at Pala Igor Gorgonzola. In more than thirty years of activity, the club will join for the first time the continental elite in the most prestigious and highest level european competition.
Igor Gorgonzola NOVARA is ready to join for the first time the european elite after having won, in the past season, the Italian Cup. After starting the season with a thrilling loss (3-2) in the Italian Supercup, Novara won the first game in the first italian national league in Bolzano (1-3) and will match on sunday the italian junior national team players from Club Italia.
The club held today, in the press room of Pala Igor Gorgonzola, an offical press conference before the start of the competition. The club's president, Giovanna Saporiti, attended the event together with the head coach Luciano Pedullà, the captain Martina Guiggi and the puertorican spiker Aurea Cruz, who will play with Novara her sixth Champions League in a row.
«We know that we are going to face the top clubs in Europe and probably in the World – said the club's president, Giovanna Saporiti – and we know that we will have a hard life to conquer a spot in the playoffs but we are also confident that our club is ready for such a big contest and that we built a strong and competitive team. We want to honor the Champions League, starting from our first game in Istanbul. Making it to the Playoffs would be like a dream coming true».
«It's always special and exciting match the strongest players and clubs in Europe – said the head coach Luciano Pedullà – and for sure it will be a wonderful experience. The 2016 CEV Denizbank Champions League is, in my opinion, the all-time highest level competition, also because for the first time only closing the Pool at first or second place we can achieve a spot in the Playoff. We want to get the best out of this european campaign, so we don't have any target: we just want to play and get positive results against any opponent, starting from the game in Istanbul. It will be hard, I know, but also very exciting».
The team captain, Martina Guiggi, added: «We are proud that we wrote a completeley new page in this club's history, winning last year's Italian Cup, and now we want to do our best to make our european journey as long as possible. We are a young team and we know that we will grow up step by step, game by game. The CEV Denizbank Champions League is also a very good chance for us to increase our level and this can be very important also for our italian campaign».
The puertorican Aurea Cruz will play for the sixth year in a row in the european elite competition: «This is one of the reason why in summer I decided to play for Novara – she said – and now I am happy and positive looking forward to the competition start. I think our team has a very good potential and we can really fight to achieve a spot in the Playoff».
