There are moments in sports that seem too beautiful to be true. The Champions League final in Turin was exactly like that for Massimo Colaci. At 41, the Perugia libero played the last match of his career, and after the final point, he not only lifted the trophy but was also named the tournament's MVP. A more powerful ending could hardly have been written even in Hollywood.
Perugia crushed Polish Zawiercie with a 3:0 (29:27, 25:18, 25:15) victory and reinforced the feeling that they currently have the most complete team in European volleyball. A team without visible weakness, in which every link works in absolute synchronicity. But above all individualities tonight, it was Colaci who stood out ", the man who for years has been a symbol of consistency, discipline, and uncompromising defensive play.
This success was no accident. Perugia built a machine where everyone knows their role to perfection. Simone Giannelli controls the rhythm with the composure of one of the world's best setters. Wassim Ben Tara turned the final into a personal spectacle and literally tore apart the Polish block. Oleh Plotnytskyi was stable in every element, and the middle blockers constantly closed off spaces in front of the opponent.
That is precisely why it was no surprise that Perugia dominated the tournament's ideal team as well.
| Position | Player | Club |
|---|---|---|
| Opposite Hitter | Wassim Ben Tara | Sir Sicoma Monini Perugia |
| Setter | Simone Giannelli | Sir Sicoma Monini Perugia |
| Libero | Massimo Colaci | Sir Sicoma Monini Perugia |
| Middle Blocker | Mateusz Bieniek | Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie |
| Middle Blocker | Yuriy Gladyr | Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie |
| Outside Hitter | Oleh Plotnytskyi | Sir Sicoma Monini Perugia |
| Outside Hitter | Tomasz Fornal | Ziraat Bank Ankara |
| Coach | Angelo Lorenzetti | Sir Sicoma Monini Perugia |
| MVP | Massimo Colaci | Sir Sicoma Monini Perugia |
The selection of the symbolic team shows something much more important than individual awards – Perugia imposed a model of dominance where stars do not play for themselves but function as parts of a perfectly ordered system. This is what distinguishes great championship teams from merely talented squads.
However, the final also had another value. It became a tribute to a generation. Colaci was never the loudest player on the court. He didn't seek the spotlight and was rarely the face of marketing campaigns. But for people in volleyball, he has always been a benchmark for a libero – the person who turns chaos into order and makes impossible balls possible.
The strongest moment came at the end of the third set. The entire hall already knew these were Colaci's last seconds as a professional player. His substitution drew thunderous applause, and his teammates seemed to play the final points specifically for him. Such scenes rarely happen in sports, because rarely does a player leave exactly at the right time – at the top, as a champion and the best in the tournament.
Thus, Perugia didn't just win another European title. The Italian powerhouse left a feeling of an era. And Massimo Colaci received what only true legends deserve – a final that will be remembered long after the final whistle.
photos:cev.eu
