The red and white management comments through the general manager Beppe Cormio on the exclusion of the Italian vice-champion team from the Scudetto race and the unprecedented adventure ahead in the 5th Place Play Off. Yesterday, the Cucine Lube Civitanova viewed the calendar of the six-team one-way Italian group which will begin with an evocative home match against the Valsa Group Modena at 8.30pm on Thursday 4 April. The tournament will be concluded by the Semi-finals and the Grand Final with field factor in favor of the best placed teams in the group.
How did the Club react to the exit from the quarter-finals of the Play Offs?
Cormio: “When you start a season you have to contemplate all the possibilities and opportunities offered. We would have liked to play in the Semi-final and try to win it to repeat last year’s journey. If we didn’t succeed, it’s partly our fault, partly it’s thanks to Monza who got through to the next round by playing better than us. We take note of this exclusion which comes after many years as protagonists. We will think about the mistakes made and what we said to ourselves at the beginning of the year and at the beginning of the rejuvenation phase. Maybe at the end of the championship we’ll talk about it with a more detailed press conference, when we can argue more freely.”
Lube always plays for first place, will there be backlash?
“We still need to take a new path with the attitude of those who do it in the best way and the team will play to win. We must honor our sport and our membership in the Super League by playing against top-level opponents. If we look at the names of the competing teams, this 5th Place Play Off presents itself as a more prestigious tournament than a CEV Cup”.
Winning the 5th Place Play Off means gaining a pass for the Challenge Cup and perhaps getting a repechage in the CEV Cup…
“We will compete against all teams who, like us, have the ambition of participating in an international cup next year. It could also be an opportunity to give space to some players less used during the season, but we will face every challenge thinking about the present to honor the competition and out of respect for our fans, who in an unlucky season was the best part.”
The real fans supported the boys until the end.
“If the team was fluctuating and the management didn’t just hit winning shots as in the past, the crowd was always perfect, always close and never stopped cheering us on with passion, following us even away from home. For this reason we have an obligation to respect the shirt and the supporters.”
