Fenerbahçe crowned as Euro winner

BAKU, Azerbaijan

Fenerbahçe needed just over an hour to beat RC Cannes in three straight sets. AA photo

Fenerbahçe Universal has been crowned the top European team in women’s volleyball, as it beat RC Cannes in three straight sets in the CEV Champions League final today.

Fenerbahçe Universal beat its French rival 25-14, 25-22, 25-20 yesterday, a day after advancing to the final with a victory over Russia’s Kazan.

It was “third time lucky” for the Istanbul team, which was making its third appearance in a row in the Final Four. It was a runner-up in 2009 and finished third in 2010.

Middle-blocker Eda Erdem said she was lost for words after the win.

“We have been on the edge of winning the title for three years and now it is an incredible feeling, I can’t explain it,” Erdem said to state-run broadcaster TRT after the game.

Erdem said the team was dedicating the victory to the team’s chairman Aziz Yıldırım, who has been in jail since July with football match-fixing allegations.

Captain Seda Tokatlıoğlu said the team will take the trophy to Yıldırım at Metris Prison in Istanbul.
The victory meant back-to-back titles for Turkey, since Vakıfbank Güneş Sigorta Türk Telekom won the title after the Final Four in Istanbul last year.