Cucine Lube Civitanova is chasing its eighth Scudetto, assured of a spot in the 2026/27 CEV Champions League and the next Del Monte® Supercoppa Final Four. These qualifications were earned by advancing to the Italian title match.
Game 1 of the Final is scheduled for Thursday, April 30, 2026 (8:30 p.m.) at the Pala Barton Energy. While awaiting the full schedule for the best-of-five match against Sir Susa Scai Perugia, an opponent they have defeated four times in the final for the Italian title (2013/14, 2018/19, 2020/21, 2021/22) and against whom they have only once disappointed in the decisive Scudetto battle (2017/18), the kitchen team will return to the gym on the afternoon of Tuesday, April 21. A double session awaits them, in the weight room and on the Palas’ taraflex.
With the help of athletic trainer Massimo Merazzi, the red and white giants aim to reach the eleventh Scudetto Final of the Marche club at the top of their game. The goal is to maintain the physical and mental fitness of the last three matches, iron out technical imperfections, study the opponents’ few weaknesses, and banish even the slightest sense of satisfaction at having already made a significant contribution to a season that began with ups and downs.
Giampaolo Medei and his men’s journey has been further enhanced by two qualifications for prestigious tournaments, thanks to the evident leap in quality achieved in the second phase of the championship against Itas Trentino and Rana Verona.
Lube will participate for the 20th time in the continental event par excellence reserved for club teams, the aforementioned CEV Champions League, which this year the culinary association said goodbye to one step away from the Final Four in Turin, seeing the dream of a third triumph vanish in the quarterfinals after the exploits of 2002 in Opole and 2019 in Berlin. Furthermore, captain Fabio Balaso and his teammates are already certain of being among the four semifinalists of the F4 Del Monte® Super Cup, which will see the Club at the starting line for the 18th time and in pursuit of a fifth triumph after the victories in the Final achieved in 2006 in Pesaro, in 2008 in Florence, in 2012 in Modena and in 2014 in Brindisi.
