Perugia in triumph, second consecutive Champions League

Sir Sicoma Monini Perugia dominates at the Inalpi Arena in Turin and conquers the CEV Champions League 2026. The team led by Angelo Lorenzetti imposes itself with authority, centering its second consecutive title after the one obtained last May 18 against Zawiercie and completing a simply extraordinary season.

For the Block Devils it is in fact the fourth trophy of the season, after the SuperLega Credem Banca Scudetto conquered in May, the Del Monte® Supercoppa won in Trieste at the beginning of March and the World Club Championship lifted in December.

The success of Giannelli and his teammates also allows Italian volleyball to sign a historic European “hat-trick”: in addition to Perugia’s Champions League, in fact, also came Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza’s CEV Cup and Allianz Milano’s CEV Challenge Cup. A continental en plein that had been missing since the 2010/11 season.

With this achievement, the number of European trophies won by Italian clubs rises to 82: 22 Champions League/Champions Cups, 28 CEV Cups, 8 Challenge Cups, 14 Cup Winners’ Cups, 9 European Super Cups and one Top Teams Cup. Considering also Club World Cups, the total international victories become 95.

For President Gino Sirci’s club, however, it is the 19th trophy between domestic and international competitions. In Europe it is the second success after last year’s Champions League, while in the world arena the tally rises to five titles by including the three Club World Cups won in 2022, 2023 and 2025.

In the decisive match of the Final Four, Perugia confirmed the dominance shown throughout the competition. After a perfect run in the group stage (six victories) and in the quarterfinals (two wins), the Umbrians closed the event in Turin without conceding a single set. The first partial was well-balanced and won after nullifying even a set point, while the second and third sets were immediately addressed by the initial sprint of the Block Devils.

Monumental performance of Ben Tara, author of 24 points in just three sets. Also still decisive was Massimo Colaci, who was greeted by yet another standing ovation, while Simone Giannelli directed the game with his usual class and Plotnytskyi confirmed his fundamental role in both phases. All four were named to the competition’s all-star team along with top coach Angelo Lorenzetti. Colaci also won the tournament’s MVP award.

Thanks to this success, Sir Sicoma Monini Perugia also enters the small group of teams capable of winning at least two consecutive Champions Leagues. Prior to the Umbrians, only Zenit Kazan (four consecutive titles between 2015 and 2018), Grupa Azoty Kędzierzyn-Koźle (three from 2021 to 2023) and Belogorie Belgorod, champions for two seasons in a row in 2003 and 2004, had succeeded.