Curse of JSW JSW Jastrzębski Węgiel. Will the “talisman” work again?

Up to three times art? It is possible that the team comes out of this assumption, which will play in the Champions League semi -final this Saturday (i.e. May 17). During the Final Four, which will take place in the Atlas Arena in Łódź (16-18.05) JSW Jastrzębski Węgiel will face Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie. It will therefore be a replay of the competition that Polish supporters from the domestic yard know very well.

The curse of JSW Jastrzębski Węgiel. Łukasz Kaczmarek will be a talisman?

For the first time, volleyballers from Jastrzębie-Zdrój in the game for the highest club rate in Europe checked in more than a decade ago. It was the final from the 2010/11 season, played in the Italian Bolzano. The hawks only rubbed the trails in the elite of the Old Continent, and first received the lesson from Italian Trentino Betclic (0: 3), and then, in the third place match, from Russian Dinamo Moscow (1: 3).

As history showed, Trentino had to meet again, but in the final, last season (i.e. 2023/24). Italians, functioning under the name ITas Trentino, did not allow the Jastrzębians to win at least one set again. This time the Polish team lost in Turkey, more specifically Antalya was the place of the finals. On Turkish land, in Ankara, Jastrzębianie won bronze medals in the 2013/14 campaign. Interestingly, playing the famous Zenit Kazan in a direct clash (3: 1), and earlier in the semi -final losing to … Halkbank – the next one present in this year’s Final Four in Łódź.

Looking more widely at the performances of the club from Jastrzębie-Zdrój in recent years, it ended with silver twice. Painful experience is especially the “Polish” final in May 2023, in Turin. At that time, the hawks seemed to come to the capital of Piedmont as a definite favorite. A dozen or so days earlier, rivals, i.e. ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle, were broken in the game about the gold of the Polish championships. Kędzierzyn also had huge problems in Turin, but ultimately they were able to reverse the fate of the game for the title and win 3: 2, the third time in a row reaching for winning in the Champions League (2021-23).

And one of ZAKSA’s players was Łukasz Kaczmarek at the time. Defined as a “talisman” by colleagues from JSW Jastrzębski, who was to reverse the wrong card in the context of Tauron Polish Cup. “Animal” went to Jastrzębie-Zdrój before the start of the 2024/25 season and in fact, in Krakow, the hawk reached for the trophy. By interrupting the catastrophic series of failures in the finals, and Kaczmarek himself could enjoy the fifth such cup on his account. The attacker won the Champions League three times during the great ZAKSA series.

Is it time to disenchant the Champions League for JSW? This will probably turn out during the competition in Łódź. Certainly hawks will definitely pass a forced break in the presence of this competition. In PlusLiga at the finish line of the 2024/25 season, the team took a place just behind the podium, losing the fight for bronze with PGE Projekt Warszawa. For this reason, it seems that the motivation to achieve success will be even greater in the ranks of former Polish champions.

You also need to remember about farewells and the personnel revolution, which is preparing in the ranks of JSW Jastrzębski. The departure of such characters as Tomasz Fornal, Jakub Popiwczak or Norbert Huber – this is an additional argument “for” saying goodbye to the bang. Preferably one with a cup in handfuls and gold medals, as they probably calculate after two unsuccessful approaches to attack on the name of the best club team in Europe.

Final Four of the Volleyball Champions League. Where and when to watch matches?

The competition for the title of the best club team of the Old Continent in the 2024/25 season will start this Friday (i.e. May 16). Atlas Arena in Łódź will be the place of the Final Four of the Champions League. In the first semi -finals, Sir Sicoma Monini Perugia (Italy) – Halkbank Ankara (Türkiye) will play. Beginning of the meeting at 20:00.

A day later, i.e. on Saturday (May 17), the “Polish” semi -finals will take place, in which two -time LM finalists, from 2024 and 2023, and Polish runners -up – also from the last two seasons. The match JSW Jastrzębski Węgiel – Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie will start at 14:45.

On Sunday (i.e. May 18) there is a match for a bronze and gold medal. The “Consolation final” starts at 16:00, and from 20:05 he plays for gold. All matches can be watched on Polsat Sport 1. In the case of online broadcasts, they will be available, among others through Polsat Box Go.