FCBARCELONA.CAT

16.09.2007 15:33

Follonica, Vilanova and Wimmis in the Euroleague

Sònia de Alba

Barça Sorli Discau have been drawn with Follonica, Vilanova and Wimmis in Group A of the European Roller Hockey League for the newly formatted 2007/08 season.

Barça will be defending their European roller hockey crown in the new-look Euroleague, in which they will be competing for a place in the Final Four along with Italians side Follonica, Catalan outfit Vilanova and Swiss club Wimmis. The draw was made at midday in Madrid and is not the easiest of challenges for Barça Sorli Discau. Wimmis shouldn’t be too hard to beat, but Follonica and Vilanova are both potentially tough opponents.

Debut at the Palau

Quim Paüls and his side get their campaign under way at the Palau Blaugrana on October 20 against the group minnows RHC Wimmis. Next up on November 17 is a trip to Follonica. It will be almost a month until game three, away to Vilanova on December 15 at Les Casernes.

The second legs start on January 19, with a trip to Switzerland on January 19. The final two games will both be at the Palau, with the deciding matches being played on February 16 and March 15 against Follonica and Vilanova, respectively.

Change of format

There have been changes to the way the tournament works this season. There will no longer be a preliminary phase. The draw was made with last season’s top four clubs being seeded, and the only other condition was that no two teams from the same country could be drawn in the same group (as eight of the teams are Spanish, there will be two side from the OK Liga in each group). Games will be played home and away in four groups of four, and each of the group winners will go on to meet in the Final Four to be played on May 10 and 11 at a venue to be decided.