Roberto Piazza (Allianz Milano coach): “We had the spotlight on us, the support of the crowd, and the lead from the first leg, but the return matches must be played and won. Until we closed out the second set, nothing was a given. I’m also happy for the crowd who came to celebrate a Cup with us. The first Milan has won in Milan, the second in history. It’s truly a day I’ll never forget. And let me also remember another final, the 2006 Champions Cup final, celebrated with Daniele Bagnoli in my arms. The other day, among other things, Daniele was inducted into our sport’s Hall of Fame, with a posthumous award from the FIPAV, more than deserved. My thoughts always go to him.”
So Allianz Milano lifts the trophy! A 3-0 victory in the second leg of the final, Reggers named MVP. Powervolley’s second Challenge Cup win after their 2021 victory.
Triumph at the Allianz Cloud: Allianz Milano won the 2026 CEV Challenge Cup in front of over 5,000 spectators, winning the second leg of the final 3-0, sparking celebrations. Reggers’s team repeated their 3-0 first-leg victory on March 25 against Belgian team Lindemans Aalst. This is the club’s second trophy, following their 2021 Challenge Cup success in Ankara.
In one hour and eight minutes, Milan won its second Challenge Cup: the outcome had actually been sealed in even less time, with the first two sets swept 25-16 and 25-19 in a rarely evenly matched match, with President Lucio Fusaro and Coach Roberto Piazza’s team desperate to lift the European trophy. Lindemans’s nine blocks to five weren’t enough to even partially overturn the 0-3 first-leg deficit. Allianz attacked with a 61% positive percentage against 42%, dishing out seven aces to zero. Reggers scored 18 points, Otsuka 10, while none of the visitors reached double figures. As is often the case with such special events, the spectacle was on the court, but especially in the stands, with over 5,000 spectators, and two major broadcasters, Mediaset and Sky, broadcasting the match.
The MVP award, awarded to Ferre Reggers, was presented by former Allianz Milano captain Matteo Piano. The spotlight then turned to the stars on the pitch: the silver medals were presented to the runner-up team by Guy Juwet and William Aimar, while the gold medals were presented to the winners by Leonel Salgueiro and Massimo Sala. The ceremony concluded with the presentation of the CEV Challenge Cup by the two CEV vice-presidents.
A great and well-deserved consolation for the club, in a year marred by injuries to some of its key players for long stretches of the season. However, the season isn’t over yet: Allianz will begin its journey this Saturday in the Credem Banca 5th Place Playoff, where the “PowerBoys” will have the chance to secure a spot in the 2026/27 Challenge Cup and thus attempt to defend their title next year. And it was precisely the 2024/25 5th Place Playoff that qualified them for the cup. The quarterfinals will be between Allianz Milano and Cisterna Volley, with the first match scheduled for Saturday at the Allianz Cloud.
CEV Challenge Cup 2026 – Finals, Away Match
Allianz Milano – Lindemans Aalst (BEL) 3-0 (25-16, 25-19, 25-18) – Allianz Milano: Ichino 9, Catania (L), Reggers 18, Masulović 9, Rotty, Benacchio, Gil Kreling 2, Otsuka 10, Di Martino 2, Caneschi 3. N.E. Masajedi, Barbanti, Lindqvist, Corbetta. All. Piazza. Lindemans Aalst (BEL): Wortelboer 7, Speltinckx, Van De Velde, Slight 2, Marques 8, Rempel 8, Gianni 4, Devoghel, Vlahovic 5, Verwimp (L), Mertens. N.E. Verhamme, Van Kerckhove. All. Depestele. ARBITRI: Widlarz, Burheim. NOTE – durata set: 24′, 25′, 21′; tot: 70′. Allianz Milano: Battute Sbagliate 17, Vincenti 7; Lindemans Aalst (BEL): Battute Sbagliate 15, Vincenti 0.
Spettatori: 5019
MVP: Ferre Reggers (Allianz Milano)
CEV CHALLENGE CUP – ALBO D’ORO
2007/08 Cimone Modena (ITA)
2008/09 Arkas Izmir (TUR)
2009/10 RPA-LuigiBacchi.it Perugia (ITA)
2010/11 Lube Banca Marche Macerata (ITA)
2011/12 Tytan Azs Czestochowa (POL)
2012/13 Copra Elior Piacenza (ITA)
2013/14 Fenerbahce Grundig (TUR)
2014/15 OK Vojvodina Novi Sad (SRB)
2015/16 Calzedonia Verona (ITA)
2016/17 Fakel Novy Urengoy (RUS)
2017/18 Bunge Ravenna (ITA)
2018/19 Belgorie Belgorod (RUS)
2019/20 non assegnata
2020/21 Allianz Milano (ITA)
2021/22 Narbonne Volley (FRA)
2022/23 Olympiakos Piraeus (GRE)
2023/24 Projekt Warszawa (POL)
2024/25 Bogdanka Luk Lublin (POL)
2025/26 Allianz Milano (ITA)
