Aleksandar and Simeon Nikolov have already had their first training session with Cucine Lube (Civitanova) after the end of Bulgaria's participation in the European Championship. The two Bulgarian national players arrived in Italy yesterday, and today they joined the team's training sessions.

Thus, Lube's preparation enters its actual phase, as the national players, who had commitments with their teams during the summer, gradually join the squad. For Alex Nikolov, this is a return to a well-known environment, while for his younger brother Moni, the first season in the Italian SuperLega begins.

In addition to the two Bulgarians, Canadians Eric Loeppky and Jackson Howe, as well as Antonin Klymes and Miran Kujundzic, are joining Lube's training sessions. Maxim Tonkonoh is already in Civitanova and has been preparing individually until now. On Thursday, the group is expected to be supplemented by Italian national players Fabio Balaso and Mattia Bottolo.
As early as Wednesday, Alex and Moni Nikolov could get their first playing minutes after EuroVolley. Lube will hold a joint training session with Yuasa Battery (Grottazzolina) at "PalaSavelli" in Porto San Giorgio. This will be the second pre-season test between the two teams.
On Sunday, October 4, Lube's first friendly match in this phase of preparation is scheduled. The opponent at "PalaCarapica" in San Severino Marche will be Cisterna Volley.
It is interesting that Lube fans will be able to see the Nikolov brothers' first training sessions up close. The club will open the training sessions to the public on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.
For the two Bulgarians, the adaptation period will be short. After the end of EuroVolley, they practically transition directly from the national to the club season, and Lube is already entering the final stage of its preparation. On October 10 and 11, the team will also participate in the strong pre-season tournament in Jesi, before the start of the new SuperLega season.