Alan Nine
Friday, August 14, 2026 produced a full late-summer news cycle on Volleyball.it, with the main developments split between Italian coaching news, national-team decisions and a cluster of international updates that arrived deep into the evening. The day was led by Numia Vero Volley Milano making its coaching change official, while the Italian men’s setup clarified the immediate future of Alessandro Bovolenta ahead of the Mediterranean Games.
There was also movement around the wider European calendar, with tickets released for the decisive weekend of EuroVolley 2026 Men in Milan, and fresh competition details from abroad, including regulatory changes for the Brazilian men’s league. In short, it was a day of formal decisions more than match drama, but with several consequences for the next phase of the season.
Italian Transfer News
The headline move came from Milan, where Gianlorenzo Blengini was officially appointed head coach of Numia Vero Volley Milano. Volleyball.it reported that the 54-year-old Piedmont coach will take charge after the end of the upcoming European Championship, as he is currently still working as head coach of the Bulgaria men’s national team. The article added that Blengini arrives with 11 titles won between club and national-team volleyball.
Massimo Caponeri and Nicola Daldello were named as assistant coaches, with Paolo Perrone set to work as scoutman. The appointment completed the transition already opened earlier in the day by the consensual separation from Stefano Lavarini (photo), but the official announcement gave Milan a definitive shape going into the next women’s club season.
International
On the national-team front, Volleyball.it reported that Bovolenta will remain with the senior group coached by Ferdinando De Giorgi and will not join the squad selected by Vincenzo Fanizza for the 2026 Mediterranean Games. The official 13-man list for the event did not include the opposite, resolving the uncertainty created by the earlier external communication and confirming that he continues his path with the senior Azzurri.
The Mediterranean Games men’s team will gather in Puglia on Sunday, August 16, with the tournament scheduled between Brindisi and Taranto from August 21 to September 3. For De Giorgi’s side, the clarification matters because it keeps another attacking option inside the senior training group during the final approach to the European campaign.
Italy also played on court in Costa Volpino, where Italy B lost 3-1 to Romania in the second women’s friendly of the Mediterranean Games preparation camp. After taking the first set 25-16, the team coached by Carlo Parisi dropped the next three sets 20-25, 19-25, 22-25. Volleyball.it underlined Italy’s positive blocking numbers, with a 17-8 edge in winning blocks and Sara Akrari contributing five of them. Gaia Battista and Loveth Tanase scored 13 points each, while Bintu Obossa added 12.
European Championship
Another significant item of the day was commercial rather than technical. Volleyball.it reported that ticket sales opened on Friday, August 14 for the semifinals and finals of the CEV Enel EuroVolley 2026 Men, scheduled for September 25 and 26 at the Unipol Forum in Assago. The four decisive matches of the tournament will be played there, and the article specified that tickets are sold exclusively through TicketOne.
The same report noted that full-event passes are available for all four matches, while FIPAV members will have access to a reduced 25-euro rate, with 3,000 category-three tickets reserved in Milan. Accessibility booking information for disabled spectators and a free companion ticket were also included in the release.
Abroad
From overseas, Volleyball.it highlighted a structural decision in Brazil: the men’s Superliga 2026/27 will be shown entirely on the channels of Grupo Globo, and the number of substitutions allowed will rise from six to eight per set. The article said the decisions were confirmed after a meeting between the CBV and the league’s 12 clubs, alongside broader discussion of finances, calendar planning and officiating criteria.
The late-night international digest added a final series of updates. Modena Volley fixed its preseason restart for August 19 with a reduced group. Giulia Colombo chose Vibo Valentia after closing her long spell with Legnano. In Brazil, Lukas Bergmann returned to the national-team group of Bernardinho after recovering from the physical problem that had kept him out of the VNL.
