Cucine Lube Civitanova opens its 19th Champions League participation this evening, hosting the ambitious French Montpellier HSC VB in the "Eurosuole Forum" for the first match of the group stage. The Italian powerhouse returns to the most prestigious European tournament after a one-year absence and is determined to make a strong start in Pool E.
Regarding the start of the campaign, Bulgarian national player Aleksandar Nikolov also spoke to the club's website, emphasizing the importance of the tournament and the specifics of the upcoming opponent.
"I am happy to be back in the CEV Champions League, especially since we didn't have this great opportunity last year. I am very pleased and proud of the team. I am fully aware that this is the toughest competition among all European club tournaments because it features the best teams on the Old Continent, who have earned their berths after strong seasons in their respective championships."
"I know that Montpellier is a strong and quality club that can cause problems. I have watched many of their matches, including their games against my father when he was in France. This is a team with history, and we must show our best volleyball to win. I am convinced we will do it in the 'Eurosuole Forum,' in front of our fans. We have every chance to succeed," the outside hitter concluded optimistically.
Lube begins its 19th Champions League participation – starting against Montpellier.
Cucine Lube Civitanova opens its 19th participation in the CEV Champions League this evening, hosting the French Montpellier HSC VB in the first match of Pool E. The match is at 21:30 Bulgarian time in the "Eurosuole Forum" and will be broadcast live on Sky Sport Arena, DAZN, Sky-DAZN1 andeurovolley.tv
This marks Lube's 14th appearance in the most prestigious club tournament in the last 15 years. The only break was last season when the club played in the Challenge Cup and reached the final. Preparation for the European debut continued on Sunday, with captain Fabio Balaso and his teammates holding a training session.
Rich history in the tournament.
Lube has two Champions League titles:
– in 2019 in Berlin, after defeating Zenit Kazan;
– in 2002 in Opole, after a victory over Olympiacos Piraeus.
The situation in Italy.
In the SuperLega Credem Banca championship, the team is sixth with 17 points after a four-set loss in Modena. The European campaign, however, has a dual goal – for Lube to advance in the tournament and for young players to gain experience at the highest level. In their last participation in 2023/24, the team reached the semifinals, losing in an Italian derby against Itas Trentino.
Opponent Montpellier: stable, confident, and dangerous point-for-point.
French Montpellier HSC VB arrives in Italy in good form. The team has only one championship defeat at the end of November and a loss in the national cup, but overall demonstrates consistency and excellent management of important rallies.
Initially, Hirsch was the starting opposite, but over the weeks Macias became the main offensive leader thanks to his attacking power and quality serve. In the middle, Jeanlys displaced Le Goff. Statistically, the team is very stable in reception, although in Ligue 1, the pressure from serves cannot be compared to that in SuperLega.
Loïc Le Marec's team is grounded and logically should not be underestimated.
First clash with Montpellier.
Lube and Montpellier face each other for the first time in European tournaments, although "the Cucinieri" have a rich history against French clubs. The team from Civitanova has played four matches against Tours in the Champions League, recording a full sweep of victories. Lube has two wins over Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League group stage, as well as another in the semifinals of the CEV Cup in 2006 in Padua, when the team from Marche subsequently lifted the trophy.
Further back, in the CEV Cup during the 2005 season (December 2004), Lube overcame Cannes after a tie-break in France, and in the return leg at home, they secured their qualification with a 3:1 victory.
The format of the group stage
The "Pool Phase" includes 5 groups of 4 teams each.
- The first-placed teams advance directly to the quarterfinals.
- The second-placed teams and the best third-placed teams play a playoff round for a spot in the Top 8.
Schedule - Round 1 in Pool E
December 9, 2025, 20:30
Cucine Lube Civitanova (ITA) – Montpellier HSC VB (FRA)
December 10, 2025, 20:30
PGE Projekt Warszawa (POL) – Volley Haasrode Leuven (BEL)
