Two-time French champions Levallois-Paris-Saint-Cloud have replaced two-thirds of their squad, and are still aiming for a third title.
Of the twelve Mariannes crowned French champions on May 3, four remain for the 2025-2026 season: Auriane Biemel and Rebeka Zyani, the two liberos, second point Cyrielle Depié, and Argentinian center Avril Garcia.
The rest of the Levallois-Paris squad has been renewed, starting with the position of point, brilliantly occupied by Argentine Bianca Cugno, who left for Brazil two seasons ago, after spending as much time at Béziers. She was one of our first recruits," admits Mariannes coach Alessandro Orefice. But it's a position that has a great connection with the setter, so we have to look for a duo."
The club has finally set its sights on German international Lena Kindermann, former Pays d'Aix Venelles player, who has come to the Hauts-de-Seine to discover the Champions League. The club also welcomed back Argentinian setter Victoria Mayer, who played for the Mariannes from 2021-2022 and Mulhouse from 2022-2024, before testing out the Polish league last season.
"I prefer to work with good players who have the ambition to come to work, not necessarily stars".
Alessandro Orefice assures us that the recruitment process, completed in March, was not made any easier by the first national title. "When a team wins, it increases its value, its image, which increases the price of players... And the price of top volleyball players is too high. I prefer to work with good players who have the ambition to come to work, not necessarily stars."
In his opinion, the most important thing is the complete renewal of the six-member staff, including his assistants Matteo Penttasuglia and Ömer Ertik.
"We have a lot of internationals, so there's little time to work (before the start of the season)," he justifies. We've shown that the titles are the result of the work of my staff. We have our own working system, our own connections... The more we work together, the more dynamic and fluid it is." With French clubs struggling every year in the Champions League, the aim remains "to get back to the final. We know it will be difficult, but when we win, we have the energy to continue writing something with the club."
See you on October 11 for the start of a new chapter in the championship.