Italy – Superlega 2017/2018

What happened exactly? Foreigns miscalculation, too much subs...?

So, we are one day from the last 'first round' match (and with all the teams finally with the same number of matches).
Even if this standings won't mean anything after all (since the Italian Cup final4 is already defined), I wanna check the ranking considering the various groups ('play off zone', top, bottom...)

Lube - 31 (11 won)
Perugia - 30 (10 won)
Modena - 30 (10 won)
Quite solid top three, with many chances to keep their 'top 3' position for the rest of the regular season. Of course they're very close one another so everything can happen between them.
Lube won vs both of them and in fact it's not a coincidence they're first (despite the straight loss vs Latina), while Perugia lost vs both of them (and both 3-0) but despite that they've had a very clear path so they're second anyway.

Verona - 24 (9 won)
4th spot secured, they can't go neither up nor down in the last day.
I guess the idea was to see Trento there, but Verona was definitely considered among the 'right behind the top' teams. And they reach that without the main opposite and with Jaeksche out for a long while, so congrats.

Padova - 20 (6 match won)
Ravenna - 20 (6 won)
Piacenza - 19 (7 won)
8th - Trento - 19 (7 won)
Milano - 18 (6 won)
Very close quintet. Ravenna lost some position since the brilliant beginning, Padova on the other hand is going up. Also Trento is going up, and the fact there are many teams very close let the hopes open, but on the other hand one wrong match can send you out of the play off zone in a second. About Milano, I expected something more but considering the injuries they overall did a good job.
Curious that the team at 19 points won 7 matches, and the team at 20 only 6.

If they Italian Cup play off were to be played yet, they would all still have a chance to grab them or being kicked out. Actually last year also the 12th was involved, but imagine how crazy would have been the next day if you needed to be 8th to play the Italian Cup. Putting aside my Trento for a second, I would have love to assist to this last-day battle
Also considering that none of this 5 teams are crossing each other in the next match, each one would have theoretically risked to be out of play off (for example Ravenna and Padova will have to play vs Perugia and Modena)/had a chance to reach not simply the play off but the even 5th spot.

Monza - 12 (won 4)
Latina - 12 (won 3)
Vibo - 9 (won 3)
Runner up. They would obviously be already out from an eventually 8th teams Italian Cup, but they still have some chance to grab the play off in the future. But the battle is very, very hard.
After all I'm surprised to see Monza ahed of Latina and Vibo. Insane that Latina won just 3 times, but one was vs the top team. And they suffered injuries too.

Castellana - 5 (won 1)
Sora -3 (won 1)
Relegation zone (even if there isn't relegation), how I'm afraid we were all expecting. Probably a 12 teams Superlega would be enough to guarantee a certain level. Anyway, this year more than ever since I'm following the Superlega having only 8 teams in the play off is a pity, imho.

Next day:
Trento-Monza
Modena-Padova
Piacenza-Verona
Vibo-Sora
Ravenna-Perugia
Latina-Milano
Castellana-Civitanova

Crossing my finger for a nice outcome for Trento, obviously. It wouldn't be that unlikely to reach the 5th place considering our opponent and Padova, Ravenna and Piacenza opponents, but as always everything can happen, including losing a position (only one, at least )

I guess I was a foul believing they could have find a way to work together, being all (Stoytchev, Ngapeth, Bruno) great winners... And being at least two of them very professional.

To be truthful, at the moment it's not official that Ngapeth (both Earvin and Swan) skipped the trainings to protest.
At the same time it seems unlikely that they took two day off with Modena permission, since they were in France in the 2-3 rest days the team had. But as far as we know they may have serious family problem... Not that I believe it, but I can't exclude it either.

On the other hand, on Friday all the team skipped the training because they remained in the changing room to speak together (for more than 4 hours!).
Plus, it seems Ngapeth didn't appreciate not having a permission to see his son and that his brother didn't play (at least as 'titular') in a friendly match made during a training and organized with the purpose of let the bench plays.

It seems Ngapeth (but I don't know if just him) gave an out-out to the society, him or Stoytchev.

Bruno and Holt published pro-Ngapeth posts on their social accounts.

On the other hand, Modena communicated that both Ngapeth's on Friday morning announced – to coach first and then society – that they weren't intentioned to continue with Modena Volley (despite their contract to 2020 and the awareness about Modena project). Then they didn't trained.

During the week Ngapeth already received a day off more than the two day offs granted to the rest of the team (I don't know about Swan).

The society is evaluating how to proceed versus them and is intentioned to defend their rights.

On another post on Dal15al25 is suggested the team convinced them to train again, but after all it seems they didn't.

Very nasty situation imho, I'm very disappointed
I can't imagine how Pedrini may feel after all she did for Ngapeth...

Quote from Kaziyski

I don't get why Bruno and Holt stood by N'Gapeth

It seems all/most of the team (or at least, of the starting six) is against Rado, so that could explain their position.
But to be honest – considering that the society is apparently standing by Rado, so he probably hasn't done nothing truly wrong, beside being the 'iron' and pretending coach he is known to be – from such professional players I would expect a different position, or at least silence.

I can understand their personal affection toward Earvin (don't know about Swan) and I would never expect Bruno to be against Earvin, but standing publicly with him means also standing against the coach and so the society they love/loved, and that sounds like a 'betrayal', like they're trying to do a mutiny. I got the impression they're thinking 'ok, if we all stand vs Rado and pro Earvin, to preserve the team they'll have to kick Rado out'.
I hope I'm damn wrong!