VERONA- After a round robin not at all short of surprises and two quality semi-finals, the Credem Banca 5th Place Play Offs reach their epilogue. Tomorrow, Saturday 27 April, at 6.00 pm, the challenge to access the Challenge Cup 2025 is scheduled. On the pitch of the Pala Agsm AIM, the hosts Rana Verona, winners of the Group and promoted to the last act with 3-1 home against Modena, they host Cucine Lube Civitanova, third seeded in the Semi-final, but capable of eliminating Piacenza in the tie-break away. Scaligeri and Cucineri have already met in the third round of the one-way round and the result was a round 3-0 of Radostin Stoytchev’s Venetian team over a collective from the Marche still recovering after the resignation of Gianlorenzo Blengini. From the following match, Romano Giannini managed to encourage the team by achieving three fundamental successes, despite the comings and goings in the infirmary, with Jacopo Larizza returning from the stop due to the ankle problem and his teammates Enrico Diamantini and Alex Nikolov remaining at the base in the last match . In the Semifinal both Verona and Civitanova played an excellent performance from nine meters and from the block. The two MVPs stand out, Noumory Keita (20 points) and Mattia Bottolo (25), in their respective matches. For Ivan Zaytsev it will be race no. 500 in Volleyball League competitions.
PREVIOUS: 51 (42 successes Cucine Lube Civitanova, 9 successes Rana Verona)
FORMER: Francesco D’Amico at Lube in 2019/20, 2022/23; Simone Anzani in Verona in 2013/14, 2014/15, 2015/16, 2016/17
Radostin Stoytchev (Coach Rana Verona) – « Presenting the match against Lube has become a routine because in the last two years we have played against them many times and we have also lost, as happened in the last match of the Regular Season. Civitanova is a strong team, they made it to the Play Off Quarter Finals, but it doesn’t change the fact that they are a difficult opponent to face. When serving, they know how to do damage and make few mistakes. They have normal percentages in reception, which they have stabilized a lot thanks to Balaso. It is the last match of the season for both teams and a lot of clarity and desire to win will be needed, with the help of the public which will be fundamental as always. We will have to do everything and more to fight Lube.”
Romano Giannini (Cucine Lube Civitanova Coach)- «We wanted to get to April 27th to reach the Final, this objective gave us the strength to prevail in Piacenza. Purtropthen in Verona, as in Emilia, we will have neither Diamantini nor Nikolov. In the group the Scaligeri conquered our field and we weren’t able to express ourselves at our best, to the point that in the third set we gave up a bit. The next match will be a different match from every point of view because, despite having against a strong team, which we have already beaten at the end of the regular season, our attitude will be different. On the day of the triumph in Verona in the Regular Season I was not present, as I was ill, but I fully experienced the exciting Play Off of the last championship with the comeback in Veneto. We will go there in search of fifth place with a European pass.”
PLAY OFF FINAL 5TH PLACE-
Saturday 27 April 2024, 6.00 pm
Rana Verona – Cucine Lube Civitanova Referees: Simbari, Carcione
