Champions League rookies Hebar Pazardzhik making history

While the vast majority of the twenty participants in this season's men's Champions League are old acquaintances - most with long histories of participation in the premier volleyball continental club competition in the world - there is one standout who is welcomed in the family for the very first time.

Bulgaria's Hebar Pazardzhik stunned Greek powerhouse Olympiacos Piraeus earlier this month in their last of three qualifiers, for a historic entry to the Main Phase of the 2022 Champions League.

In their international debut, Hebar were knocked out of the Main Phase of the 2019-20 Challenge Cup by Poland's Aluron Virtu CMC Zawiercie (before the competition was completely cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic).

A year later, competing in the 2020-21 CEV Cup, Hebar advanced past Albania's Erzeni Shijakut, but were eliminated by Russia's Zenit Saint Petersburg in the 'Round of 16'.

But this year marked Hebar winning their first national championship title in Bulgaria (adding the trophy to their cabinet which already included the national Cup from 2019 and 2020) and earned a spot in the prestigious Champions League.

As unseeded newcomers, Hebar started out from the very start - Round 1 where it took them a 15-13 'Golden Set' to deal with Spain's CDV Guaguas Las Palmas. They then knocked out Belarus' Shakhtior Soligorsk despite losing at home in five sets, with a 3-1 win on the road.

It was then time to take down 30-time Greek champions Olympiacos with four-set wins both at home and away, for a historic qualification to the pool phase of the Champions League.

Hebar will certainly have a tough run against the likes of Poland's Jastrzebski Wegiel, Belgium's Knack Roeselare and Germany's VfB Friedrichshafen in Pool A - but just by making it through they have already made history.

In their quest to advance further, Hebar have a wealth of Bulgarian stars, complemented by three foreigners: North Macedonian setter Gjorgi Gjorgiev, Canadian opposite Bradley Gunter and Italian outside hitter Jacopo Massari - all under the guidance of Argentina coach Martin Blanco.

Hebar may be the only rookies of this year's Champions League, but there's a couple of teams returning after long absences: Turkey's Ziraat Bankasi Ankara are back after a five-year-hiatus and Slovenia's Merkur Maribor make their first appearance in more than a quarter of a century after taking part in the 1994 European Champions Cup.