Lube going ahead

Vice champions of Italy struggling with a necessary reset after the disappointment at home against league leaders Itas Trentino in the Regular Season. The Cucine Lube Civitanova will return to the gym tomorrow, Tuesday 5 December. The red and whites will train in groups in the weight room throughout the morning and will undergo a full technical session in the afternoon. In the sights of coach Chicco Blengini and his men is the away match on Friday 8 December (6pm) to Cisterna di Latina, a preview of the 9th round of the championship. Only afterwards will we think about the European path.

Sunday’s misstep at the Eurosuole Forum, which came in three sets after five consecutive victories between SuperLega Credem Banca and CEV Champions League, did not upset the rankings of the Cucinieri, still fifth with 13 points gained in the first nine rounds, but imposes on De Cecco and his companions an exploit. Lube must achieve a perfect or almost perfect first-round final in order to try to enter the top four and thus guarantee themselves a favorable field factor in view of the Del Monte® Coppa Italia quarter-finals which will inaugurate 2024 in a single match.

From now until Tuesday 26 December, the end of the first round, the red and whites will face two away games on difficult pitches (Cisterna and Piacenza) and then finish at home against Verona, another rival to take with a grain of salt. Stages to be alternated with commitments in Pool E of the CEV Champions League, in Belgium against Maaseik (departure on Sunday 10 December, on the pitch on Tuesday 12 at 8.30pm) and at home against Prague (on the pitch on Thursday 21 December at 8.30pm).

Weekly program

Monday: rest

Tuesday: weights, technique

Wednesday: rest, technique

Thursday: technical, departure for Cisterna di Latina

Friday: technical, match of the 9th round of SuperLega VS Cisterna (6pm in Cisterna di Latina)

Saturday: rest, weights + technique

Sunday: rest, flight to Belgium