Baku, Azerbaijan, July 23, 2010. Last year’s Azerbaijani champion and CEV Cup bronze medalist Rabita BAKU is set to play the CEV Champions League for the first time in history. The team has got very high ambitions for the most prestigious club competition worldwide. Rabita is not going to be satisfied just with participating in the Champions League, what is proved by the massive and relevant transfers that have been finalized this summer by the club. Although they already had quite a strong team last season, the Azerbaijani officials decided to renew the roster to reach out for even higher goals.Rabita BAKU kept in its roster three Serbian players, namely captain and outside-hitter Bojana Doganjic, opposite Sanja Starovic and libero Silvija Popovic plus Ukrainian middle-blocker Lidiya Dyachenko and renewed the contracts signed with the players who had joined the team for the final round of the Azerbaijani Super league, i.e. Serbian central Mira Golubovic and Latvian universal player Olga Tocko.
Then Rabita started drawing other strong players from different countries. So, setters Irina Zhukova from Ukraine and Bulgarian Diana Nenova, plus a 2006 World champion from Russia, outside-hitter Natalya Kulikova, and Croatian middle-blocker Mirela Delic did all join the Azerbaijani team.
But it was just the beginning and Rabita was going on to surprise all Volleyball fans with a real hammer. The President of Rabita, Mr. Jalil Jafarov, caused the biggest sensation of the season making international star Natalya Mammadova come back to her motherland. It was the best present by this team to all Azeri Volleyball lovers. Natalya Mammadova said that she was very happy to come back to her country and play for the honor of an Azerbaijani Volleyball club again.
Just a few days later Rabita announced some more great news. Serbian star and middle-blocker Natasa Krsmanovic and Olympic finalist, one of the leaders of the USA national team, i.e. outside-hitter Kimberly Glass, also joined the team.
The last transfer of Rabita was famous Serbian coach Dejan Brdjovic who has quite impressive results in his CV especially in such strong competitions like the CEV Champions League. With this transfer Rabita BAKU finished the completion of its roster for the new season promising hard and interesting matches to all Volleyball supporters living in Azerbaijan.
According to the results of the DOL staged this past June in Vienna, the opponents of Rabita BAKU in the Champions League are: Scavolini PESARO (ITA), Aluprof BIELSKO-BIALA (POL) and Dinamo Romprest BUCHAREST (ROU).
Rabita will start the preparations for the new season in August, in different cities of Azerbaijan, playing friendly matches with some national teams and participating in several international tournaments in autumn.
Picture: Azerbaijan’s national star Natalya Mammadova is back to her home country after having played last year for Russia’s Dinamo KRASNODAR
For more information about Volleyball in Azerbaijan visit also www.azerivolley.com
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German national team setter Kathleen Weiss (left) announced in an interview to the Brazilian web portal "Melhor do Volei" that she will spend the next season in Azerbaijan at "Igtisadchi" Baku team.