A.S. Volley Lube will not be able to rely on Alex Nikolov in the upcoming key match against Allianz Milano – the last game of the autumn half-season in the Italian SuperLega. The Bulgarian outside hitter has been suspended for one match due to accumulated cards.
This accumulation started as early as Lube's away match against Monza.
The Disciplinary Committee's decision provoked an immediate reaction from the Civitanova club, which expressed "deep disappointment and bitterness" at the imposed measure. Lube emphasizes that the sanction comes at an extremely sensitive moment and puts the team in a disadvantaged position before the important encounter.
In its official statement, the management declares that after reviewing the TV footage from the match against Modena in "PalaPanini", during the fourth set, no signs of unsportsmanlike conduct by Nikolov were found. The club reminds that the match took place in an excellent spirit of fair play and in front of a magnificent audience – factors which, according to them, make the penalty even more inexplicable.
In Italy, it is commented that the penalty is an automatic consequence of accumulated warnings in previous matches. Nevertheless, Lube believes that the specific case deserves a more in-depth review, as the facts from the recording do not align with the severity of the imposed sanction.
The club is considering whether to lodge an official appeal, although such penalties are rarely overturned. For now, however, the fact remains that the league's top scorer will miss the decisive match of the half-season due to a sanction that the club describes as unfair and unfounded.
The sanction comes at the most inconvenient moment of the championship. The last matches this Saturday and Sunday will determine the final quarter-final pairings for the Italian Cup. By depriving themselves of their primary points-scorer, Lube risks losing their match against their direct rival for sixth place – Milan. The match between the two teams is in Civitanova this Sunday at 7 PM Bulgarian time. The only "good" thing is that Lube plays in front of their home crowd.
Another aspect of this sanction is that the direct competitor for the award for top volleyball scorer, Ferre Reggers from Milan, will face no obstacles in accumulating points in the absence of the current leader in this ranking.
It remains to be seen how this dramatic turn of events in the championship will unfold for Alex Nikolov and his team.
photos: Nikolay Varadinov
