This afternoon, as part of the Trento Sports Festival, the “Presentation of the 81st Credem Banca SuperLega Championship” took place. In front of a large audience at the Santa Chiara Auditorium, Matteo Piano, acting as host, shared his emotions and feelings with his guests just days before the start of the Credem Banca SuperLega championship, scheduled for October 20th. A sustained round of applause preceded the presentation, while the giant screen showed images of the recent World Championships, which saw Italy secure the gold medal for the fifth time in its history.
“Today we celebrate our World Champions and our Championship, of which the Italian National Team is a product,” explained Massimo Righi, President of the Lega Pallavolo Serie A. “Thanks to the Credem Banca SuperLega, we can celebrate these successes; it’s a source of pride. This year, we’ll also be taking one of our major events abroad, as the Del Monte® Supercoppa will be played in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, to spread the word about Italian volleyball around the world.”
In attendance were Itas Trentino World Champions Alessandro Michieletto and Riccardo Sbertoli, as well as Italian libero Domenico Pace (Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza).
They included Tommaso Guzzo (Cisterna Volley), Noumory Keita (Rana Verona), Daniele Lavia (Itas Trentino), Pardo Mati (Valsa Group Modena), and Ivan Zaytsev (MA Acqua S.Bernardo Cuneo).
It was also an opportunity to directly recognize the athletes who, at the end of the 2024/25 season, won League Awards: Noumory Keita as the top scorer of the last Credem Banca SuperLega and author of the most winning attacks; Domenico Pace, for the most perfect receptions in the SuperLega; Tommaso Guzzo as the best U23 athlete of the last Credem Banca Serie A2 championship; and finally Alessandro Michieletto, best spiker of the 80th Championship.
League Awards for the 2024/25 Season
During the presentation, Piacenza President Elisabetta Curti also took the stage to deliver a speech on the topic of renewable energy (presenting the CER “Sun Son” project). Singer-songwriter, actor, and singer Giò Di Tonno delighted the audience with his performance, concluding the presentation with a performance of “The Best Years of Our Lives,” while symbolic and evocative images of Italian volleyball flashed across the screen.
1a giornata di andata – SuperLega Credem Banca
Lunedì 20 ottobre 2025, ore 20.00
Allianz Milano – Valsa Group Modena ( Diretta VBTV)
Lunedì 20 ottobre 2025, ore 20.30
Sonepar Padova – MA Acqua S.Bernardo Cuneo ( Diretta VBTV)
Rana Verona – Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza (Diretta DAZN e VBTV )
Cucine Lube Civitanova – Yuasa Battery Grottazzolina (Diretta VBTV)
Martedì 21 ottobre 2025, ore 20.30
Vero Volley Monza – Sir Susa Scai Perugia (Diretta DAZN e VBTV )
Cisterna Volley – Itas Trentino (Diretta Rai Sport e VBTV)
Massimo Righi (President of the Lega Pallavolo Serie A): “This championship is starting with excellent auspices, given that we are World Champions. Today we will celebrate our Champions as well as our championship, of which the national team is a product. Thanks to the championship, we can celebrate these successes: it’s a source of pride to think that in three years we’ve won two World Championships and one European Championship. At the club level, we’re dominant even outside of Italy, given our performances in the European cups and the Club World Championship. The Credem Banca SuperLega represents the elite of Italian and global volleyball. We will be the first to bring a major team sporting event abroad (soccer excluded). We will play the Del Monte® Supercoppa in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, on November 7th and 8th. In this way, we will spread the word of Italian volleyball around the world.”
Giuseppe Manfredi (President of FIPAV): “This is a fortunate moment. I’ve always maintained that results don’t come by themselves, but right now, we need to be aware that without these championships and these clubs, But above all, without people who believe in this sport, these results would not have been achieved. Our players come from the youth sectors: the daily work of the clubs and the Federation ensures that every year we produce players for the Super League.
Ferdinando De Giorgi (Italian National Coach): “We were surrounded by incredible affection. I felt like we were able to convey emotions that transcended the result. The hardest medal to win is the love of the fans. I’m proud of what happened. The work of colleagues in the clubs is indispensable; player development happens in a very competitive and balanced league. It’s the best because it offers quality and balance that allows you to fully enjoy the matches, which are never taken for granted. Maybe next time we’ll have the entire front page of Gazzetta…”
Gianni Valenti (Deputy Editor, Gazzetta dello Sport): “We arrived at the right time, also with the World Championship victory. We had no doubt that volleyball was popular; the SuperLega is exciting and reaches so many cities.”
Nicole Galimberti (Head of Sponsorships, Credem Banca): “Today on this stage, there’s emotion and pride. I represent Credem Banca, title sponsor of the Lega Pallavolo Serie A since 2018. This collaboration also marked the beginning of a wonderful adventure: we’ve celebrated together, in Italy and abroad.
Ivan Zaytsev (MA Acqua S.Bernardo Cuneo): “It’s a special feeling to play in Cuneo, a city that breathes volleyball.
Pardo Mati (Valsa Group Modena): “My journey has been fairly gradual; I’ve been fortunate to seize the opportunities I’ve been given. Now I’m always trying to take a step forward compared to yesterday.”
Riccardo Sbertoli (Itas Trentino): “I wanted to return to Trento early, in agreement with the staff, because during the second half of the World Championships, having played so little, I immediately wanted to be at my best physically to help Trento. Receiving praise after starting to work on myself is very gratifying. If I have to acknowledge one quality, I think it’s the education I received from my family.”
Daniele Lavia (Itas Trentino): “My last month and a half? Ups and downs. For now, I want to tell everyone that I’m fine. It’s been a difficult month and a half for me, but Trentino Volley and the national team have been supportive, as has my family. Now that’s over. I’ve always strived for humility; I’ve always been a balanced player. It’s a characteristic I feel is mine.”
Noumory Keita (Rana Verona): “Wherever I go, I feel loved by people; it’s something that always gives me the energy to do my best. My volleyball idol was my uncle; I wanted to be as good as him. Another dream I had was to come and play in Italy, and I achieved it. I always want to give my best and make the people around me proud.”
Tommaso Guzzo (Cisterna Volley): “Last year went quite well; the award I won today is also the fruit of so many sacrifices made since I started playing volleyball. I decided to move down to Serie A2, and it went well. It’s hard to know where I am now, but I still think I have a long way to go.
Domenico Pace (Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza): “I was born and raised in Castellana Grotte, a town that lives and has always lived off volleyball. Hard work always pays off: I made my decisions without excessive haste, and in the end, I can say it went more than well.”
Alessandro Michieletto (Itas Trentino): “Receiving awards like this in the SuperLega is very satisfying. They come when you have a good season, especially with your teammates, who allow you to play at an excellent level. I would never have been able to do it alone. We work every day; strong teams make the difference. You don’t always win, but we’ve shown we can get to the end of competitions.”
