It was supposed to be a celebration, and a celebration it was: in a sold-out PalaBancaSport stadium in Piacenza, Gas Sales Bluenergy completed the show by winning the return leg against German side SVG Luneburg. After a 3-0 first-leg victory last Wednesday in Germany, the Emilian team took the two sets needed to win the double-header, but they didn’t slow down and finished the match with the maximum margin.
This was the first European trophy for President Curti’s club, following the Del Monte® Coppa Italia won in Rome in 2023.
The greatest thrills and spills of a match dominated by Dante Boninfante’s men came after the final whistle, with the team lined up and a standing ovation in the stands as Gianluca Galassi walked to the podium. Piacenza’s supremacy in the match was never in doubt. The crucial points were scored by a young player and a veteran: Alessandro Bovolenta gave the national team a nod with 12 goals and confirmed his class, while Robertlandy Simon, the Final MVP with 11 points, once again demonstrated his leadership and ability to make a difference at the highest levels.
The first real roar, however, came at the end of the second set, after José Gutierrez’s 25-17 point, sealing the trophy in the double-header. In the third set, the coaching staff also allowed other players to take the lead, and the team closed the game without a problem.
While waiting for Sir Susa Scai Perugia to face the 2026 CEV Champions League Final Four in Turin, looking to secure a slew of Italian titles in Europe, Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza’s triumph in the CEV Cup follows Allianz Milano’s triumph in the Challenge Cup.
CEV Cup 2026, Finals – Away Match
Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza – SVG Luneburg (GER) 3-0 (25-20, 25-17, 25-21) – Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza: Porro 3, Leon 2, Pace (L), Mandiraci 7, Comparoni 5, Galassi 3, Simon Aties 11, Travica 1, Andringa 3, Bergmann, Iyegbekedo, Gutierrez Suarez 8, Bovolenta 12, Loreti (L). N.E. All. Boninfante. SVG Luneburg (GER): Holdaway 1, Gruvaeus 8, Byam 1, Howe 6, Kunstmann 3, Backhaus (L), Välimaa, Laumann, Enlund 10, Larsen 3, Champlin 6, Takahashi. N.E. Young. All. Hubner. ARBITRI: Yalcin, Portela. NOTE – durata set: 27′, 23′, 23′; tot: 73′. Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza: Battute Sbagliate 15, Vincenti 6. SVG Luneburg (GER): Battute Sbagliate 13, Vincenti 0.
AUDIENCE: 3.450
MVP: Robertlandy Simon
Dante Boninfante (Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza coach):
“This victory is the culmination of a season in which we grew so much, game after game, and in which we had to overcome many obstacles in the form of injuries. It’s a victory I want to dedicate to my entire staff who never gave up, and to the club that believed in me and allowed me to coach this group. I’m thrilled; it’s my first European trophy as head coach, and I’m happy for the guys who never gave up.”
Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza’s victory today is the 81st victory for an Italian club in Europe (8 Challenge Cups, 28 CEV Cups, 21 European Cups – Champions League, 14 Cup Winners’ Cups, 9 European Super Cups, and 1 Top Teams Club), as well as the 94th internationally (including the 13 Club World Cups won by A1 and SuperLega teams).
A SuperLega club returns to win the CEV Cup after two editions that saw Ankara (2023/24) and Resovia (2024/25) triumph. The last Italian team was Modena in 2022/23, which had continued Monza’s success the previous year.
CEV CUP
1980/81 A.S. Cannes (FRA)
1981/82 Starlift (NED)
1982/83 Panini Modena (ITA)
1983/84 Panini Modena (ITA)
1984/85 Panini Modena (ITA)
1985/86 Kutiba Falconara (ITA)
1986/87 Enermix Milano (ITA)
1987/88 Automobilist Leningrado (URSS)
1988/89 Automobilist Leningrado (URSS)
1989/90 Moerser Moers (GER)
1990/91 Sisley Treviso (ITA)
1991/92 Maxicono Parma (ITA)
1992/93 Sisley Treviso (ITA)
1993/94 Ignis Padova (ITA)
1994/95 Cariparma Volleyball Parma (ITA)
1995/96 Alpitour Traco Cuneo (ITA)
1996/97 Area Ravenna Volley (ITA)
1997/98 Sisley Treviso (ITA)
1998/99 Iveco Palermo (ITA)
1999/00 Piaggio Roma (ITA)
2000/01 Lube Banca Marche MC (ITA)
2001/02 Noicom Brebanca Cuneo (ITA)
2002/03 Sisley Treviso (ITA)
2003/04 Kerakoll Modena (ITA)
2004/05 Lube Banca Marche Macerata (ITA)
2005/06 Lube Banca Marche Macerata (ITA)
2006/07 Novy Urengoi (RUS)
2007/08 M. Roma Volley (ITA)
2008/09 Lokomotiv Belogorie Belgorod (RUS)
2009/10 Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo (ITA)
2010/11 Sisley Treviso (ITA)
2011/12 Dinamo Moscow (RUS)
2012/13 Halkbank Ankara (TUR)
2013/14 Paris Volley (FRA)
2014/15 Dinamo Mosca (RUS)
2015/16 Berlin Recycling Volleys (GER)
2016/17 Tours VB (FRA)
2017/18 Belogorie Belgorod (RUS)
2018/19 Itas Trentino (ITA)
2019/20 non assegnata
2020/21 Dinamo Moscow (RUS)
2021/22 Vero Volley Monza (ITA)
2022/23 Valsa Group Modena (ITA)
2023/24 Asseco Resovia Rzeszow (POL)
2024/25 Ziraat Bank Ankara (TUR)
2025/26 Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza (ITA)
