VakifBank’s six CEV Champions League titles a Guinness World Record

VakifBank ISTANBUL, as the record holders with as many as six CEV Champions League titles to their name, have made it to the Guinness World Records for a third time in their history. Guinness World Records Referee Şeyda Subaşi Gemici presented the certificate to VakifBank Sports Club President Abdi Serdar Üstünsalih at a press conference held at VakifBank Sports Palace on Monday, September 2. VakifBank had previously achieved the feat of entering the Guinness World Records courtesy of the longest winning streak in women’s Volleyball and for the most titles in the FIVB Volleyball Women’s Club World Championship. 

VakifBank, which has been inspiring girls across Türkiye for 38 years, has added yet another accolade to their ever-growing list of honours. They have done so as they have claimed the elite CEV Champions League crown as many as six times, and in four such occasions, they went undefeated throughout the whole season. 

At the press conference held at the VakifBank Sports Palace, Guinness Referee Şeyda Subaşi Gemici presented the record certificate to VakifBank Sports Club President Abdi Serdar Üstünsalih. VakifBank General Manager Banu Can Schürmann, Head Coach Giovanni Guidetti, as well as players Ayça Aykaç Altıntaş, Aylin Acar, Cansu Özbay, Derya Cebecioğlu and Zehra Güneş all attended the press conference as well.

VakifBank Sports Club President Abdi Serdar Üstünsalih said: “We wanted to share the good news with you and the public with the idea that success and happiness will be meaningful when shared. The total of six CEV Champions League titles we won in 2011, 2013, 2017, 2018, 2022 and 2023 has been officially recorded as a Guinness World Record. May it be auspicious for VakifBank, our volleyball community and our country! This way we have added a new one to our previously registered records of “The team that won the most official matches in a row” and “The team that won the most FIVB Clubs World Championships” by Guinness World Records. With our title of “The team that won the most CEV Champions League titles”, we have also broken and registered our third Guinness World Record. I would like to proudly state that it has been registered once again that we are at the top among the most successful teams in world volleyball history. We are also very proud to have achieved this as a Turkish team. I would like to congratulate and thank all past and present athletes, coaches, employees and managers who have contributed to these achievements,” he said.

Presenting the certificate to VakifBank Sports Club President Abdi Serdar Üstünsalih, Guinness World Records Referee Şeyda Subaşi Gemici said, “As a woman and a Turkish female referee, I am very pleased to register these records on my own behalf and on behalf of my home country. I congratulate everyone who contributed to these results,” she said.

2011: VakifBank claims first historic title 
When they secured the CEV Champions League title in 2011, VakifBank became the first Turkish team to lift the coveted trophy and opened the door for an era where Turkish teams have been leading the way on the European and global stage. After emerging victorious in 2013, 2017, 2018, 2022 and 2023, VakifBank achieved an unprecedented record of six titles in Europe’s most prestigious club competition. With this success, it entered the Guinness World Records for a third time as “the team with the most championships in the CEV Champions League.”

Legendary 73-match winning streak 
VakifBank won all 73 official matches they played between October 23, 2012, and January 22, 2014, and this way had entered the Guinness World Records for the first time as the “volleyball team that won the most official matches in a row.” They managed to win the FIVB Club World Championship three times until 2020 and this way their record was officially acknowledged for a second time. VakifBank triumphed in 2021 as well, thereby adding yet another title to those previously claimed in 2013, 2017 and 2018 from that same competition.