Italy’s Mint Vero Volley Monza announced a major incoming transfer on Wednesday, just three days before the 2024-2025 season officially begins with the Del Monte Supercoppa in Florence. The iconic Ivan Zaytsev returns to indoor volleyball and will play for the SuperLega Credem Banca 2024 silver medallists in what he called his “last SuperLega season”, after spending the summer as a beach volleyball player and just days after snatching the national championship title in the sand.

“I am really happy to be here in this club, to give my contribution to the team,” the 2.04m-tall striker told verovolley.com. “I enter the hall with the right motivation and the necessary humility to be ready for coach (Massimo) Eccheli. I greet all the Vero Volley fans and I thank President (Alessandra) Marzari from the bottom of my heart for wanting me here! I will give everything to enjoy this arena and my last season in the SuperLega. For this reason, I am enormously excited, but already ready to give my best in every challenge on the nine-by-nine court.”

Ivan Zaytsev, known as the Tsar by nickname, spent the previous three seasons of his highly celebrated volleyball career with Cucine Lube Civitanova, claiming a 2021 FIVB Volleyball Men’s Club World Championship silver and several domestic podiums, including the 2022 national title.

The 35-year-old star has also played for elite Italian clubs from Perugia, Rome, Latina and Modena, as well as clubs from Russia and Qatar. His overall collection of club-level gold medals includes the 2015 CEV Cup, three national championship titles, one national cup trophy and three national super cup trophies in Italy, as well as a number of domestic medals in Qatar and Russia. Zaytsev also picked up continental silvers from Europe’s CEV Champions League and the Asian Men’s Club Championship.

Ivan Zaytsev also had a memorable career with the Italian national team from 2009 to 2022. During that period, he earned two Olympic medals, a Rio 2016 silver and a London 2012 bronze, as well as several silver and bronze medals from the FIVB Volleyball World Cup, the FIVB Volleyball World Grand Champions Cup, the FIVB Volleyball World League and the CEV Volleyball European Championships.

Zaytsev’s impressive volleyball journey has also been garnished with numerous individual achievements with both the national team and his club teams.

This summer, the Tsar teamed up with three-time Olympian and Rio 2016 silver medallist in beach volleyball Daniele Lupo. The stellar pairing took part in the Italian Beach Volleyball Championship tour, and just 10 days ago, at the end of the season, they grabbed the national season champions’ title.

Ivan Zaytsev is the latest highlight in the solid line-up of Vero Volley’s new acquisitions this off-season. Early this summer, the club from Monza also signed the likes of outside hitter Osmany Juantorena and middle blockers Taylor Averill and Leandro Mosca, among others.

The new club season in Italy will officially open on Saturday, September 21, with the semifinals of the Supercoppa Italiana in Florence, in which Vero Volley will face Itas Trentino Trento at 18:00 local time (16:00 UTC). Sir Susa Vim Perugia and Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza will meet in the other semifinal, starting at 15:30 (13:30). The big final for the first major trophy of the season is on Sunday at 18:00 (16:00).

The new SuperLega season is set to get underway the following weekend, with Ivan Zaytsev and his new teammates opening their campaign with an away game at newcomers Yuasa Battery Grottazzolina.

• Watch the Supercoppa and the SuperLega on VBTV.

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