Polish volleyball analyst Jakub Balcezak has tipped Cucine Lube Civitanova to challenge Perugia for the Italian SuperLega title, naming Aleksandar Nikolov as a top MVP candidate.
Key facts
- •Jakub Balcezak predicted that Cucine Lube Civitanova could dethrone Perugia in the 2026/2027 Italian SuperLega season.
- •Aleksandar Nikolov was named by Balcezak as the primary candidate for the league's Most Valuable Player award.
- •The 2026/2027 regular season features 12 teams, with the top eight advancing to playoffs played in best-of-three series.
- •Eighteen-year-old Manuel Hristov Zlatanov of Piacenza was identified as a potential breakout discovery of the championship.
- •Lube won the Jesi Volley Cup pre-season tournament by defeating Milano 3:1, with Simeon Nikolov claiming tournament MVP.
Italian volleyball runners-up Cucine Lube Civitanova have what it takes to dethrone titleholders Sir Safety Perugia in the 2026/2027 Italian SuperLega season, according to Polish volleyball analyst Jakub Balcezak. In a preview published on X, Balcezak highlighted brothers Aleksandar and Simeon Nikolov as key factors in Lube's championship push, while designating Aleksandar Nikolov as his primary candidate for league MVP.
By the numbers
Title Contenders and League Format
The 2026/2027 LegaVolley season features 12 teams in the regular season, with the winner securing a Champions League spot and the top eight advancing to best-of-three playoff rounds, alongside returning play-out matches to avoid relegation. Perugia enters the season as the top world-ranked team and reigning champion led by coach Angelo Lorenzetti, though Balcezak notes their advantage over competitors has narrowed and points to new Belgian opposite Ferre Reggers taking over for Wassim Ben Tara. Lube is positioned right alongside Perugia as a top challenger, bolstered by the Nikolov brothers following their success in winning the Jesi Volley Cup pre-season tournament, where Simeon Nikolov earned tournament MVP honors after defeating Milano 3-1.
Young Talent and Bulgarian Connections
Balcezak highlighted 18-year-old Manuel Hristov Zlatanov of Piacenza as a potential breakout star of the league, comparing the young talent to Alessandro Michieletto. Zlatanov previously scored 19 points in Piacenza's 3-0 victory over Trento in the Sardinia International Volley Cup final. Balcezak also praised Piacenza's reliance on youth as a dark horse contender, placed Trentino and Verona in his top four expectations, labeled Modena as a potential surprise medal contender, and projected Cisterno as facing the highest risk of relegation to the A2 division.
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This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by Sportal.bg.
