The Lega Pallavolo Serie A is structured in several levels of importance; the highest of them is SuperLega (formerly Serie A1). Since the early 1980s, many among the best volleyball players in the world play in Superlega and the overall level of competition is considerably high. Nowadays, the SuperLega is widely considered the best league in the world.

Structure As of 2016–17 season, the Italian volleyball championships are parted in this way:

SuperLega (highest level, 12 teams); Serie A2 (second level, 14 teams); Serie A3 (third level, 28 teams); Serie B (fourth level, 14 teams in 9 rounds); 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 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:

a round-robin tournament (regular season) which picks out the clubs admitted to the second phase and the teams destined to relegation; a playoff tournament, which assigned the trophy.

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."". www.coni.it.

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.

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 1990s 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.). All along 1990s, Italian teams dominated all European club competitions and Serie A1 was called "the NBA of volleyball".

Situation Serie A1 is the top professional volleyball league in Italy. The sport is played across the country, but tends to have a stronger following in small and medium-sized cities. In larger cities, football and other sports traditionally attract more attention.

Champions

1936–1941 (OND tournaments)

These tournaments were organized by the National Recreational Club (Opera Nazionale Dopolavoro)."". www.coni.it.

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)

Season Champions Runners-up 1946 Robur 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 Parma 1965–66 Virtus Bologna Ruini Firenze 1966–67 Virtus Bologna Salvarani Parma 1967–68 Ruini Firenze Salvarani Parma 1968–69 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 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 Mediolanum 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 Casa Modena Unibon 1999–00 Piaggio Roma Casa Modena Unibon 2000–01 Sisley Treviso Asystel Milano 2001–02 Unibon Modena Sisley Treviso 2002–03 Sisley Treviso Kerakoll 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 2015–16 DHL Modena Sir Safety Perugia 2016–17 Cucine Lube Civitanova Diatec Trentino 2017–18 Sir Safety Perugia Cucine Lube Civitanova 2018–19 Cucine Lube Civitanova Sir Safety Perugia 2019–20 Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic 2020–21 Cucine Lube Civitanova Sir Safety Perugia 2021–22 Cucine Lube Civitanova Sir Safety Perugia 2022–23 Itas Trentino Cucine Lube Civitanova 2023–24 Sir Safety Perugia Vero Volley Monza 2024–25 Itas Diatec Trentino Cucine Lube Civitanova 2025–26 Sir Safety Perugia Cucine Lube Civitanova

Teams The following teams compete in the SuperLega during 2024–25 season:

+ Team Stadium Capacity MIL Allianz Milano Allianz Cloud Arena 5,420 CVA Cucine Lube Civitanova Eurosuole Forum 4,000 GRO Yuasa Battery Grottazzolina PalaSavelli 3,600 PIA Gas Sales Bluenergy Piacenza PalaBanca Sport 3,800 TAR Gioiella Prisma Taranto PalaMazzola 3,100 TRE Itas Trentino BLM Group Arena 4,000 PAD Pallavolo Padova Kioene Arena 3,400 PGA Sir Safety Susa Perugia PalaBarton 5,000 CIS Cisterna Volley Palazzetto dello Sport 3,000 MOD Valsa Group Modena PalaPanini 3,000 MZA Vero Volley Monza Arena di Monza 4,000 VER WithU Verona AGSM Forum 5,200

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).

Sponsor 1989–91: Wuber Salumi 1991–95: Acqua Boario 1995–97: Kraft 1997–99: La Trentina 1999-03: LG Electronics 2003–10: TIM 2010–12: Sustenium Plus 2012–13: Linkem 2013–14: UnipolSai 2013–: UnipolSai – Del Monte – Mikasa 2021–: Credem Banca – Del Monte – Mikasa – Italtelo

References

Sources Almanacco Illustrato del Volley – 1987, Panini Edizioni, Modena, 1986

External links Official website SuperLega at Volleyballworld.com Italian Volleyball Federation (FIPAV)