One step away from the maiden title, Giannelli and Perugia "do not obsess" over winning the #CLVolleyM

A 3:0 convincing win against Halkbank Ankara propelled Sir Sicoma Monini Perugia to their second final in their history in the CEV Champions League Men.

The Italian side started of slow both in the first and in the third set, but rallied back, taking advantage of both Ankara’s woes, but also thanks to their efficiency, which stood at 52% throughout the match  -58% in the first set, 52% in the second set and 50% in the third set.

Perugia also delivered 10 blocks – five only in the first set – and constantly frustrated Ankara, taking the wind out of their sails, especially as they limited Brazilian star Yoandy Leal to only five points in the last two sets.

“Every set was very balanced, for sure they had some mistakes with the serve, but I think we were good because we were able point-to-point, thinking about the present, because for the final it is also important to be present on the court,” said Perugia’s captain, setter Simone Giannelli.

Giannelli was instrumental for his team’s win, doing everything on the court, and helping his side secure some monster rallies, as well as being a key cog in their comebacks in the start of the first and third sets.

And now, Giannelli, the MVP of the CEV EuroVolley Men 2021, is eyeing his first title in the CEV Champions League Men, after losing two finals, in 2016 and 2021 with Trentino Itas, his former team, where he spent nine years, from 2012 to 2021.

“I do not have the obsession of winning the title, but we are here, it is not easy to be here in the Final Four. I am very happy, because it was not easy, we faced a good team, Ankara, they have very good players, we played good, we enjoyed the match and now we have another final, so I am very proud,” added Giannelli.

So far, Perugia have been a powerhouse in the CEV Champions League Men, providing some excellent matches and dropping a single one in their first nine, a 2:3 home loss against the same Halkbank Ankara side they eliminated in the Final Four, in the last match of the 4th round, when the Italian side had already secured the first place in their pool.

But the Italian side has one last step to make towards their maiden trophy in the European premium competition. They have been one of the most consistent sides in the last decade, making the semi-finals in seven of the last eight seasons.

Yet until the win against Halkbank, they had only won once, in 2017, when they also got in the final, but lost against Zenit Kazan, 0:3.

“The match against Halkbank was very tough, we are happy with the win. We knew it was going to be a difficult match, and it was. We won 3:0, but we were very close, so we are very happy to play a final,” said middle blocker, Agustin Loser.

Now, there is only one match separating Perugia and their first title in the CEV Champions League Men. And for Giannelli, Ishikawa or Oleh Plotnytskyi, all stars in the Italian team, this could be very well a huge chance to lift their maiden trophy in this competition.