The first major event of the 2025/26 SuperLega season is drawing ever closer: Bologna is ready to welcome teams and fans once again for the Del Monte® Coppa Italia Final Four, which kicks off on Saturday, February 7th with the Semifinals and concludes on Sunday, February 8th with the spectacular Final (already sold out), which will decide the 48th edition of the event. The first Semifinal between Italian Champions Itas Trentino and Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza will begin at 3:30 PM, followed by the match between European and World Champions Sir Susa Scai Perugia and last year’s runners-up Rana Verona, no earlier than 6:00 PM.
Following are the coaches’ and captains’ comments ahead of the Final Four.
Marcelo Mendez (Coach Itas Trentino): “The Del Monte® Coppa Italia Final Four is one of the most important and beautiful moments of the season, and for me it’s even more so because it will be the first time I’ll be able to experience it as a protagonist after having watched so many as a television spectator. It will be a weekend of top-level matches, in which we’ll try to play our cards to the fullest, knowing full well that we’ll face extremely tough and high-level opponents. Obviously, we’re only looking ahead to Saturday’s semifinal against Piacenza, a team that has found an increasingly better pace throughout the Regular Season and plays beautiful, effective volleyball, regardless of the starting six they field. We’ll try to do the same; we’ll take the court in Bologna highly motivated and fired up to try to earn a spot in the first Final of the season. We have the physical, technical, and temperamental qualities to make the most of this weekend, regardless of the starting six we use.”
Riccardo Sbertoli (captain Itas Trentino): “It’s always a wonderful feeling to be able to play in the Coppa Italia Final Four; we deserved it and now we’ll try to give it our all. We’re coming off a difficult period, in which we had to deal with the unavailability of key players for our team. We could probably still be in a state of emergency this weekend, but we arrive in Bologna with a clear mind and aware of the path we’ve taken so far to reach the semifinals. I’m obviously not referring only to the Quarterfinal we won at the end of December against Monza, but also to the first half of the season, which led us to be the top seed in the draw, and to the matches we’ve played over the last ten days, in which we achieved victory despite the absences of some key players. We’ll put all our determination and aggression into the game to try to achieve another great result. In the semifinals we’ll face a very strong opponent in Piacenza, who are playing well and who until now have been very strong.” They’ve now had a steadily improving second half of the season. We know our opponents well; we’ve faced them several times, and we know it will be a very tough match, in which we’ll try to cause them problems.”
Dante Boninfante (Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza Coach): “For us, participating in the Coppa Italia Final Four is certainly a source of pride, a key point in the season. It was a goal at the beginning of the year, and the boys performed well throughout the first half of the season and perfected it in the Quarterfinal against Modena. They did well to earn this opportunity: a crucial stage, especially for the development of the many young players who will have the opportunity to experience a wonderful event. A very tough semifinal awaits us; we all know Trento’s strength, and we will try to honor this event to the fullest by doing everything we can to move forward. The joy of being here is, of course, shared with the many fans who have always supported us and who will come to Bologna to support us. Club, team, and fans: all together to attack this wonderful event.”
Robertlandy Simon (Captain Gas Sales Bluenergy Volley Piacenza): “The Del Monte® Coppa Italia has always been a wonderful event. In just a few matches, it showcases a lot of competitive spirit, a real desire to perform, the will to be there, and obviously great challenges. It’s an event that provides both the players and the spectators with a wealth of excitement. We’re thrilled to be a key player in Bologna at a tournament that offers a trophy that we’d like to bring back to Piacenza after a few years. A tough road awaits us, with some top-notch opponents, but we’re ready to have our say and give our best on the court.”
Fabio Soli (Coach Rana Verona): “The Coppa Italia Final Four is a highly prestigious event, rewarding the progress we’ve made so far and giving us the opportunity to compete at the highest level. We’ll be facing Perugia, an extremely solid and consistent team that has proven its worth in recent years both in the league and in other competitions. To be competitive, we’ll need great attention to detail, quality play, and the ability to stay in the game at all times, leading us to play the semifinals with great energy.”
Rok Mozic (Captain Rana Verona): “We’re approaching this weekend with enthusiasm and a deep understanding of the importance of the event, knowing that the Final Four has a unique atmosphere and dynamic. Perugia is one of the strongest teams in the league, and facing them in the Del Monte® Coppa Italia semifinals is a challenge that requires maximum commitment in every aspect. We’ll have to be aggressive and ready to fight for every ball, staying united even in difficult moments and taking advantage of every opportunity the match presents us.”
Angelo Lorenzetti (Coach Sir Susa Scai Perugia): “I have to congratulate the boys because since we returned from the Club World Cup, it’s been a real rollercoaster, and they’ve approached everything with great style and a good attitude. Therefore, they’re ready to be the best versions of themselves in the Coppa Italia. We know the quality of our opponent, their power—we’ve already faced them at home—but the important thing now is to take the field in Bologna with the intention and desire to be protagonists. Then, as always in sport, only one player wins. But so far, I have nothing to reproach my boys for.”
Simone Giannelli (Captain Sir Susa Scai Perugia): “Being present at these competitions is never a given. First and foremost, we’re happy to be going to Bologna and being part of this Final Four. It’s an opportunity we earned on the court. We must never forget how we got to these events: we’re coming to Bologna thanks to a very good home game against Civitanova, a one-off match that we could have easily lost because we played against a top-level team. We’ll give our best and try to win: we’re, as always, “hunting for the finals,” and the Final depends on the match against Verona. We know we’ll face a very tough opponent in the semifinals. They’re a physical team that uses serving as one of their best weapons, as we saw in our home Regular Season match; I expect a long match that will most likely be decided by a tie-break.”
