After yet another memorable season, in which the Italian powerhouse added four more trophies to its cabinet, the club said goodbye to three of its protagonists: libero Massimo Colaci, who has retired from his glorious career, Tunisian opposite hitter Wassim Ben Tara, and middle blocker Roberto Russo.
Ben Tara arrived in Perugia for the 2023/24 season, his first year in the Italian league after three seasons in France, one in Poland, and one in Qatar.
In his debut season with Perugia, he played a starring role in the club’s legendary “poker” campaign, during which the team won every competition it entered in a single season: the Club World Championship, the Italian Super Cup, the Italian Cup, and the Scudetto.
The following year brought the first Champions League title in the club’s history. Ben Tara, who scored 22 points in the final at Łódź’s Atlas Arena against Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie, finished as the match’s top scorer and was named Best Opposite in the tournament’s Dream Team.
And it didn’t stop there as, in the season that has just concluded, he won another four trophies and once again earned a place in the Dream Team as the best player in his position. In this Champions League final too, he was the top scorer, recording 24 points in just three sets!
That makes ten trophies won in only three years with Perugia: 2 Club World Championships, 3 Italian Super Cups, 1 Italian Cup, 2 Scudetti, and 2 Champions League titles.
“Winning ten trophies in three years has been truly incredible! Every season had its own story and journey, and they were all beautiful experiences that I will remember for the rest of my life,” he said, adding that the moment he will remember most is the final point of the Scudetto final against Civitanova and the roar of the PalaBarton crowd.
“The club definitely helped me grow as a player and gain experience. Sharing this journey with my teammates every day helped me develop not only technically, but also as a person,” he added.
Roberto Russo joined Perugia in the 2019/20 season, just over twenty years old, and leaves the club after seven consecutive seasons, during which he won 15 trophies.
“It has been a pleasure and an honor to wear the Perugia jersey. I arrived seven years ago, and from day one this place welcomed me in the best possible way. The fans were exceptional, and being able to play alongside champions like Atanasijevic and De Cecco from the very beginning was something unique. Above all, it gave me the opportunity to compete at the highest level of volleyball and win many trophies. I’m happy to have been part of this family,” he said.
His achievements with the club include 6 Italian Super Cups, 2 Italian Cups, 2 Scudetti, 2 Champions League titles, and 3 Club World Championships.
“On a personal level, these years helped me grow tremendously, both as an athlete and as a person, so I owe a lot to Perugia. Now I’ll be playing on the other side of the net, but the memory of Perugia will always stay with me and will always have a place in my heart.”
Over seven years, the middle blocker collected countless memories, emotions, and unforgettable moments.
But if he had to choose one above all others, his mind goes back to the 2020/21 season, his second year in Perugia: “One image I will never forget? Definitely when ‘Bata’ and I went into the stands to celebrate with the fans.”
It was October 2020, and that evening he had been honored in the “S.I.R. Player” contest — Sudore, Ignoranza, Rispetto (“Sweat, Grit, Respect”) — launched by the Sirmaniaci supporters group. After every match, one player was chosen as the embodiment of those qualities, and that night Roberto Russo shared the podium and the crown with Aleksandar Atanasijevic after finishing tied in the voting.
“I remember they put a crown on my head — that moment was unforgettable!“.
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