Antonin Klimes is getting closer to a transfer to Cucine Lube (Civitanova), and his potential transfer could bring together some of the brightest talents in world volleyball on one team.
The 18-year-old Czech middle blocker made a strong impression with his performances for the Czech national team at the last U19 World Championship, where his team reached the semi-finals for the first time in 55 years. It was there that Klimes's Czech Republic faced Bulgaria in a battle for a spot in the final.

In that match, the Bulgarian team, led by Aleksandar and Simeon Nikolov, managed to secure the victory and qualify for the championship final. Thus, Klimes found himself on the other side of the net against the two Bulgarian talents, who are already among the leading names in Lube's project for the future.
Now, however, the situation looks radically different. According to information from ivolleymagazine.it, citing Il Resto del Carlino, Civitanova is on the verge of acquiring the 208-cm Czech international, which means Klimes could soon become a teammate of the Nikolov brothers.
Lube was impressed not only by the physical attributes of the young middle blocker but also by his performance on the world stage. The club sees him as one of the most promising young players in his position in Europe, and the deal is almost finalized, with only the last details remaining.
The transfer is part of a significant squad rejuvenation at Civitanova, where the management is clearly banking on a new generation of talents. If Klimes's move is formalized, Lube will bring together three of the most interesting young volleyball players who, just months ago, were rivals in a battle for a world final.

photos: Nikolay Varadinov