Ziraat Bankkart Voleybol Takımı secured third place in the 2026 CEV Men's Champions League by defeating PGE Projekt Varşova 3-2 in a closely contested match. The first set saw Ziraat Bankkart struggle, falling behind early and eventually losing 25-20. In the second set, Ziraat Bankkart took an early lead but was matched by a strong Polish team. They managed to clinch the set 25-23.
The third set was a dominant performance by Projekt Varşova, who took an early lead and maintained it to win 25-13. The fourth set was another tight contest, with Ziraat Bankkart managing a narrow 25-23 victory to force a decisive fifth set. In the final set, Ziraat Bankkart started well and never looked back, securing a 15-11 win to claim third place.
Hollander libero Nimir Abdelaziz was the standout performer for Ziraat Bankkart, contributing 36 points to the victory. This marks the team's second time in the last four in the Champions League, following their semi-final appearance in 2024. Ziraat Bankkart's third-place finish adds to Turkey's tally of medals in the competition, following Eczacıbaşı's third place in 1980 and Halkbank's second place in 2014.
PGE Projekt Varşova finished fourth in the competition. The match was held at Inalpi Arena, officiated by Ksenija Jurkovic (Croatia) and Tudor Pop (Romania). The sets were scored 25-20, 23-25, 25-13, 23-25, and 11-15, with the match lasting 132 minutes.
This is an incredible achievement for Ziraat Bankkart! Third place in the CEV Men's Champions League is something to be proud of, but can they go one step further next time and claim the top spot? Only time will tell.