Russian powerhouse Zenit (Saint Petersburg) officially announced the signing of Italian setter Mattia Bonifante, who will soon join the team for the new season.
Bonifante made his debut in the Italian SuperLega during the 2023/24 season with Modena. He then moved to Cucine Lube Civitanova, where he quickly established himself as one of the most promising young setters in Italy.

With the Civitanova team, he won the Italian Cup in 2025, and also reached the final of the Italian Championship in two consecutive seasons – 2024/25 and 2025/26.
In 2025, Bonifante also made his debut for the Italian national team in the Nations League. His first official match with the 'Squadra Azzurra' was precisely against Bulgaria.
The club welcomed the new addition and wished him a successful season with Zenit.
'We wish Mattia success in the upcoming season with our club and look forward to meeting him,' wrote the press service of Zenit (Saint Petersburg).
Bonifante's transfer also has a significant Bulgarian accent. It was precisely the young Italian setter's move to Russia that opened a spot in the Lube Civitanova squad for one of the greatest talents in Bulgarian volleyball – Simeon Nikolov.
After parting ways with Bonifante, Lube's management focused its efforts on signing the Bulgarian national player, who is set to succeed the Italian in the setter position. Thus, in the 2026/27 season, Simeon Nikolov will have the opportunity to take the next big step in his career at one of the most prestigious clubs in the world.
The transfer also brings additional emotion for Bulgarian fans, as in Civitanova, Moni will be teammates with his older brother Aleksandar Nikolov. This way, the two will play together not only in the Bulgarian national team, but also at club level.
In practice, Mattia Bonifante's move to Zenit (Saint Petersburg) became the key move that made possible the reunion of the Nikolov brothers in Lube – an event that is undoubtedly among the most intriguing moments for Bulgarian volleyball before the start of the new season.
For Zenit, the signing of Bonifante is an investment in one of the most promising young setters in Europe, while for Lube, the freeing up of his spot opened a new chapter, linked to the development of another exceptional talent – the Bulgarian Simeon Nikolov.

photo: Nikolay Varadinov