Numia Vero Volley Milano, the Italian women's volleyball powerhouse, has appointed Gianlorenzo Blengini as head coach for the 2026/2027 season, replacing Stefano Lavarini who departed to rejoin Fenerbahçe Medicana in Istanbul. The move brings one of Europe's most decorated coaches to the women's game, with Blengini fresh off a silver medal at the 2025 World Championship with Bulgaria's men's national team.
The coaching change marks a significant moment for Milano's women's squad. Under Lavarini, the team reached two consecutive Serie A1 finals but fell short of claiming Italy's most prestigious domestic volleyball prize, the Scudetto. The appointment signals Milano's determination to finally challenge Conegliano, which has dominated Italian women's volleyball in recent years. Blengini, 54, will officially take over after concluding his duties with Bulgaria at the European Championship in August and September 2026.
Why This Matters for Italian Sports
For those new to Italian volleyball culture, the Serie A1 Scudetto represents the pinnacle of domestic competition—equivalent in prestige to Serie A in football. Winning it would be a watershed moment for Milano, which has never claimed the title. This coaching change reflects the club's serious investment in breaking through, with the appointment marking a rare cross-gender transition in elite Italian volleyball coaching.
A Proven Winner Takes the Helm
Blengini arrives with exceptional credentials. He has won 11 titles across club and international competitions, including three Italian championships with Lube Civitanova. His departure means Stefano Lavarini, the outgoing coach, secured Milano's first-ever national trophy—the Supercoppa Italiana in October 2025—before returning to Turkey for a two-year contract.
The €50,000 transfer compensation Milano received for releasing Lavarini reflects volleyball's smaller financial scale compared to football. In international women's volleyball coaching, such buyout fees are relatively modest and typically occur only when a coach departs mid-contract for a higher-profile opportunity abroad.
Lavarini's Mixed Legacy in Milan
Stefano Lavarini arrived at Milano in summer 2024 and immediately elevated the club into contention. Over two seasons, he guided the team—anchored by Paola Egonu, one of volleyball's biggest global stars—to back-to-back Scudetto finals, a third-place finish in the CEV Champions League 2024/2025, and a third-place showing at the 2024 Club World Championship.
The breakthrough came in October 2025 when Milano defeated Prosecco Doc Imoco Conegliano 3-2 in the Supercoppa Italiana in Trieste. That victory ended Conegliano's streak of seven consecutive Supercoppe and represented a significant moment for Milano, which had suffered 10 straight final losses against their rivals. It remains the club's only national title to date.
However, Lavarini could not translate that momentum into a league championship. Milano fell to Conegliano in both 2024/2025 and 2025/2026 Scudetto finals, losing the first series 3-0. The inability to claim the sport's ultimate domestic prize—combined with a lucrative offer from Turkey—prompted Lavarini to request his contract release this week.
Fenerbahçe, where Lavarini previously coached in the 2023/2024 season and won both the Turkish league title and Turkish Cup, moved quickly to bring him back. The move reflects Lavarini's reputation as a top-tier women's volleyball coach capable of building championship teams.
Blengini's Credentials: From Olympic Silver to Bulgarian Success
Gianlorenzo "Chicco" Blengini, born in Turin on December 29, 1971, is best known for leading Italy's men's national team from 2015 to 2019. During that period, his teams achieved Olympic silver at Rio 2016, bronze at the 2015 European Championship, gold at the 2018 Mediterranean Games, and silver at the 2015 World Cup.
At club level, Blengini's work with Lube Civitanova (2015–2017 and 2021–2024) produced three Scudetti and one Coppa Italia. His coaching philosophy emphasizes disciplined defense, tactical flexibility, and mental resilience—the foundation of Civitanova's dominance in Italian men's Serie A.
Since 2024, Blengini has transformed Bulgaria's men's national team into unexpected World Championship contenders. The Bulgarians secured silver at the 2025 World Championship in the Philippines, their best result in decades. For these achievements, Blengini was named Bulgarian Coach of the Year for 2025, becoming the first foreigner ever to receive the honor—a testament to his ability to maximize talent across different sporting systems.
Can He Adapt to the Women's Game?
Blengini's arrival represents a calculated move for Milano. While he has never coached a women's team at any level, his track record suggests he can apply high-level principles to an elite squad hungry for its first Scudetto.
His support staff will include Massimo Caponeri and Nicola Daldello as assistant coaches, and Paolo Perrone as scoutman—all experienced figures in Italian volleyball. This continuity in support staff may ease the transition as Blengini adapts to the rhythm of women's Serie A1, where Conegliano has claimed 8 of the last 9 championships.
Milano's roster remains among Italy's most talented, built around Egonu's explosive attacking and a deep bench capable of competing in both domestic and European competitions. The question now centers on whether Blengini's structured, defensively-oriented approach can deliver the consistency required to dethrone Conegliano's consistent excellence.
The Broader Coaching Shuffle in European Volleyball
Lavarini's move to Fenerbahçe is part of a wider coaching carousel across Europe's top women's clubs this summer. His return to Istanbul displaced Marcello Abbondanza, who had held the post for a single season. Meanwhile, Milano's decision to pursue Blengini—despite his lack of women's volleyball experience—underscores how rare it is for elite-level coaches to move between the men's and women's games at the highest tier.
Fenerbahçe's two-year commitment extends through the 2027/2028 season, suggesting they view Lavarini as essential to their challenge against VakıfBank Istanbul and Eczacıbaşı for Turkish supremacy.
Timeline and Transition
Blengini will remain with Bulgaria through the European Championship, which runs from late August into early September 2026. He is expected to join Milano's preseason preparations in mid-September, leaving limited time to implement his system before the 2026/2027 Serie A1 season begins in October.
Milano's management has expressed confidence that Blengini's international experience and championship pedigree will translate to the women's game. Whether that optimism proves justified will likely depend on his ability to manage star personalities, adapt to the different tactical dynamics of women's volleyball, and find answers to Conegliano's relentless consistency.
For now, Milano fans can take comfort knowing their club has secured one of volleyball's most respected minds—a coach who has delivered silverware at the highest levels and recently transformed an unfancied Bulgarian squad into World Championship finalists. If Blengini can replicate even a portion of that success in Milan, the long-awaited Scudetto may finally arrive.
