Italian Volleyball League

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Picture taken during a volleyball match in Verona.

The Italian Male Volleyball League is structured in several levels of importance; the highest of them is SuperLega (former Serie A1). Since early 80s, many among the best volleyball players in the world play in Superlega and the overall level of competition is considerably high.

Structure

As of 2014-15 season, the Italian volleyball championships are parted in this way:

  • SuperLega (highest level, 13 teams, no relegations);
  • Serie A2 (second level, 12 teams, one promotion and no relegations);
  • Serie B1 (third level, 37 teams separated in three divisions, four promotions, seven relegations)
  • Serie B2 (fourth level, 107 teams separated in eight divisions, twelve promotions, 27 relegations)
  • Serie C, organized by regional committees
  • Serie D, organized by regional committees
  • Prima Divisione, organized by provincial committees
  • Seconda Divisione, organized by provincial committees
  • Terza Divisione, organized by provincial committees.

SuperLega

Picture taken during a volleyball match in Trento.

SuperLega is the highest level club competition in Italian professional male volleyball. It is organized by Federazione Italiana Pallavolo (FIPAV) and Lega Pallavolo Serie A. It was known as Serie A between 1946 and 1977, then as Serie A1 until 2014.

Since 1982, the championship consists of two phases:

Just in few occasions relegation playouts were disputed.

History

Volleyball made its first appearance in Italy after the end of World War I. In 1929 a Federazione Italiana Palla a Volo (FIPV) was founded. During the 1930s several tournaments were organized by youth or workers movements within fascist associations like GIL and OND.[1]

Crowd attending a volleyball match in Cuneo.

After the end of World War II and the overthrow of fascist regime, a new association, called Federazione Italiana Pallavolo, were founded in 1946. Later that year the city of Genoa hosted the first official male championship.[1]

Quickly volleyball became popular in northern regions like Piedmont, Lombardy and especially Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany: clubs based on Ravenna, Modena, Parma, Bologna and Florence regularly won all the championships for more than thirty years. By the 1970s outsider clubs from centre-south cities (Rome, Catania) were more competitive.

In the 1980s the growth of Italy men's national volleyball team led volleyball to a peak of a popularity. After a period in which Turin's CUS and Parma's Santal dominated, great entrepreneurial companies (like Fininvest in Milan, Montedison in Ravenna and Benetton in Treviso) decided to support and invest in volleyball, equipping strong teams which often won European and Intercontinental trophies. During the 90s and 2000s decades, Serie A1 was by far the best volleyball league in the world, due to the simultaneous presence of all Italian's golden generation members and even all the best foreign players from all over the world (Netherlands, Brazil, Cuba, Russia etc.). During the decade, italian teams dominated all European club competitions and Serie A1 was called "the NBA of volleyball".[2][3]

Today Serie A1 is called Superlega, it's not the NBA of volleyball anymore, but it's still one of the most difficult and competitive leagues in the world. Italian volleyball is diffused all over the country but, as a consequence of the enormous popularity of other disciplines (football above all) in big cities, it finds its highest popularity in medium-to-large cities.[4]

Champions

1936–1941 (OND tournaments)

These tournaments were organized by the National Recreational Club (Opera Nazionale Dopolavoro).[5]

  • 1936: Azogeno Vado Ligure
  • 1937: Azogeno Vado Ligure
  • 1938: Torti Alessandria
  • 1939: Azogeno Vado Ligure
  • 1940: not held
  • 1941: Lanerossi Schio

1946–today (FIPAV tournaments)

2007–08 Itas Diatecc Trentino's celebrative gonfalon.
Season Champions Runners-up
1946 Roburt Ravenna Borsalino Alessandria
1947 Robur Ravenna Borsalino Alessandria
1948 Robur Ravenna Lega Navale Vercelli
1949 Robur Ravenna Ferrovieri Parma
1950 Ferrovieri Parma Robur Ravenna
1951 Ferrovieri Parma Robur Ravenna
1952 Robur Ravenna Multedo 1930 Genova
1953 Minelli Modena Multedo 1930 Genova
1954 Minelli Modena Avia Pervia Modena
1955 Minelli Modena Crocetta Modena
1956 Crocetta Modena Minelli Modena
1957 Avia Pervia Modena Sestese Sesto Fiorentino
1958 Ciam Modena Avia Pervia Modena
1959 Avia Pervia Modena Ciam Modena
1960 Avia Pervia Modena Ciam Modena
1961 Ciam Modena Avia Pervia Modena
1962 Interauto Modena Ciam Modena
1962–63 Avia Pervia Modena Ciam Modena
1963–64 Ruini Firenze Smalteria Ghirlandina Modena
1964–65 Ruini Firenze CUS Parma
1965–66 Virtus Bologna Ruini Firenze
1966–67 Virtus Bologna Salvarani Parma
1967–68 Ruini Firenze Salvarani Parma
1968–69 Pallavolo Parma Minganti Bologna
1969–70 Panini Modena Ruini Firenze
1970–71 Ruini Firenze Panini Modena
1971–72 Panini Modena Ruini Firenze
1972–73 Ruini Firenze Lubiam Bologna
1973–74 Panini Modena Lubiam Bologna
1974–75 Ariccia Volley Club CUS Torino
1975–76 Panini Modena Klippan Torino
1976–77 Federlazio Roma Paoletti Catania
1977–78 Paoletti Catania Federlazio Roma
1978–79 Klippan Torino Panini Modena
1979–80 Klippan Torino Paoletti Catania
1980–81 Robe di Kappa Torino Panini Modena
1981–82 Santal Parma Robe di Kappa Torino
1982–83 Santal Parma Robe di Kappa Torino
1983–84 Robe di Kappa Torino Santal Parma
1984–85 Mapier Bologna Panini Modena
1985–86 Panini Modena Tartarini Bologna
1986–87 Panini Modena Santal Parma
1987–88 Panini Modena Maxicono Parma
1988–89 Panini Modena Maxicono Parma
1989–90 Maxicono Parma Philips Modena
1990–91 Il Messaggero Ravenna Maxicono Parma
1991–92 Maxicono Parma Il Messaggero Ravenna
1992–93 Maxicono Parma Misura Milano
1993–94 Sisley Treviso Milan Milano
1994–95 Daytona Las Modena Sisley Treviso
1995–96 Sisley Treviso Alpitour Traco Cuneo
1996–97 Las Daytona Modena Sisley Treviso
1997–98 Sisley Treviso Alpitour Traco Cuneo
1998–99 Sisley Treviso Unibon Modena
1999–00 Piaggio Roma Unibon Modena
2000–01 Sisley Treviso Asystel Milano
2001–02 Unibon Modena Sisley Treviso
2002–03 Sisley Treviso Unibon Modena
2003–04 Sisley Treviso Copra Asystel Ventaglio Piacenza
2004–05 Sisley Treviso RPA LuigiBacchi.it Perugia
2005–06 Lube Banca Marche Macerata Sisley Treviso
2006–07 Sisley Treviso Copra Berni Piacenza
2007–08 Itas Diatec Trentino Copra Nordmeccanica Piacenza
2008–09 Copra Nordmeccanica Piacenza Itas Diatec Trentino
2009–10 Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo Itas Diatec Trentino
2010–11 Itas Diatec Trentino Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo
2011–12 Lube Banca Marche Macerata Itas Diatec Trentino
2012–13 Itas Diatec Trentino Copra Elior Piacenza
2013–14 Lube Banca Marche Macerata Sir Safety Perugia
2014–15 Itas Diatec Trentino Parmareggio Modena

Serie A2

Serie A2 is the second highest level club competition in Italian professional male volleyball. It is organized by Federazione Italiana Pallavolo (FIPAV) and Lega Pallavolo Serie A. It was created in 1977 by splitting the previous Serie A in two tiers (Serie A1 and Serie A2).

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 "[1]". www.coni.it.
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  5. "[2]". www.coni.it.

Sources

  • Almanacco Illustrato del Volley - 1987, Panini Edizioni, Modena, 1986

External links

pt:Liga Italiana de Voleibol Masculino