15/05/2019

Congratulations to Fabio Balaso, Andrea Marchisio and Lube Civitanova

Berlin, Germany, May 18, 2019. The CEV Champions League Volley title is back in Italy! Undefeated in the 2018/19 Champions League campaign Cucine Lube CIVITANOVA climbed to the top of European Volleyball at the Super Finals in Berlin and ended the Russian supremacy, which had been lasting since 2012. Coming out victorious over former title holders Zenit KAZAN by 3-1 (16-25, 25-15, 25-12, 25-19) it is the first time an Italian team seize the crown since TRENTINO Volley won three times in a row (2009 to 2011).

•  Zenit KAZAN and Cucine Lube CIVITANOVA met again in a repeat of last year’s final (a 3-2 win for the six-time champion Zenit) and gave another unique show to European Volleyball fans.
  •    Zenit opened this spectacular final with three killing blocks in a row and before Lube started to find their rhythm in the Super Final, KAZAN were out of reach in the first set for the Italians (25-16).
  •    With the help of their Cuban trio - Juantorena, who is now an Italian citizen, Robertlandy Simon and Yoandy Leal, who has switched allegiance to Brazil - Cucine Lube CIVITANOVA found the right answer and put much more pressure on the former titleholders during the second one (25-15).
  •    The German “Volleyball temple” transformed into a home crowd for the team of head coach Ferdinando De Giorgi while Lube Volley were still on fire in the third set. They only left twelve points to the Russian national vice-champions (25-12).
  •    9,046 spectators at the sold-out Max-Schmeling-Halle saw CIVITANOVA showing the mentality of champions, taking the fourth set (25-19) and the overall victory.

•    Finally, Tsvetan Sokolov (17 points), Yoandy Leal (15) and Osmany Juantorena (14) led their colours towards the title as best scorers.
•    Being successful in Berlin, Cucine Lube becomes the fourth team to win the CL multiple times, after Zenit KAZAN (6), TRENTINO Volley (3) and Belogorie BELGOROD (3).
•    Winning the trophy for the second time after doing so in 2002, CIVITANOVA finish their Champions League Volley campaign undefeated and extended their winning streak to 11 matches.
•    As Super Finals champions in the ‘Clash of Titans‘ CIVITANOVA seize a record-breaking € 400,000 purse, as unlucky losers Zenit KAZAN travel home to Tatarstan with € 200,000 in their pockets.

(Source: https://www.cev.eu/news)