Nine season were enough for Piacenza to go from its first season in the A2 to the A1 league title. In its second A2 season, under coach Berruto, it already made a league and cup double. It had never left the A1 from that 2002-03 season. The fusion with Asystel Milan followed and next were two finals: the league final against Treviso and the Cev Cup final against Modena. The following season, it took part in the Champions League for the first tile, in which it was knocked out at the 8th of final stage. For the first time again, it finished the regular season top of the table. In 2005-06, ti gathered its first European triumph with the Top Teams Cup. The following season brought about two bitter runner up places: in the league with the final lost against Treviso and in the Cev Cup, beaten by Novy Urengoi. In 2007-08, the curse of the second place kept striking: defeat against Kazan in the Champions League and against Trentino in the league final.
The 2008-09 season started OK but not exceptionally well for Piacenza: at the half way point of the league, it stood in fourth place with 8 wins and 5 defeats, enough to make it to the Italian Cup. Meanwhile it lost Falasca through injury and signed Christian Pampel. Piacenza’s cup campaign ended in the semi finals, while it was bitterly knocked out in the 8th of final of the Champions League having to deal with injuries of Bravo, Marshall and Zlatanov. These injuries took its toll in the league too: Piacenza closed the regular season in fifth place.
But Zlatanov and co rewrote the history of the playoffs, becoming the only team to win the league title without ever having the court advantage. Perugia was swept in three games, then Piacenza needed the 5 games to get rid of Macerata, and went all the way to the decider too against Trentino. The result: a record 22 set played to win the title: a real marathon. Game 2 against Macerata even lasted 2’27, the longest game since the establishment of the Rally Point System. The fifth game of the final lasted 2 hours and 22 minutes: the longest final since the rally point system (1999-2000) and the second of all time.
POINT RECORD FOR HRISTO ZLATANOV
Hristo Zlatanov was the main star of Piacenza’s triumph: He became the top scorer of the playoffs with 215 points in 13 games that makes it an overall 1318 points, sending Alessandro Fei in second place. IF we take into account the whole league season: Regular season and playoffs, Zlatanov is still top of the chart. Since 1999-2000, he has scored 4.811 points, a hundred more than Wout Wijmans for example.
SERIE A1 TIM
LEAGUE FINAL GAME 5 STATS
THE GAME: 02.22
Itas Diatec Trentino – Copra Nordmeccanica Piacenza 2-3 (25-21; 25-20; 21-25; 22-25; 13-15)
Longest set: 00.31
2� Set (25-20) Itas Diatec Trentino – Copra Nordmeccanica Piacenza
4� Set (22-25) Itas Diatec Trentino – Copra Nordmeccanica Piacenza
Quickest set: 00.28
1� Set (25-21) Itas Diatec Trentino – Copra Nordmeccanica Piacenza
TEAM HIGHS
ATTACK: 53,5%
Itas Diatec Trentino
RECEPTION: Pos. 50% Perf. 38%
Copra Nordmeccanica Piacenza
BLOCKS: 14
Itas Diatec Trentino
POINTS: 80
Copra Nordmeccanica Piacenza
ACES: 11
Copra Nordmeccanica Piacenza
INDIVIDUAL HIGHS
POINTS: 30
Hristo Zlatanov (Copra Nordmeccanica Piacenza)
SPIKES: 23
Hristo Zlatanov (Copra Nordmeccanica Piacenza)
ACES: 6
Hristo Zlatanov (Copra Nordmeccanica Piacenza)
BLOCKS: 4
Emanuele Birarelli (Itas Diatec Trentino)
Joao Paolo Bravo (Copra Nordmeccanica Piacenza)
