Superlega 2023 - News.

Argentina (ARG) vs. Germany (GER) men - Pool 2 - Preliminary Phase #16061966

Agustin Loser will play for Sir Susa Vim Perugia. After signing with one of the world’s best spikers and the world’s best servers, Japan’s Yuki Ishikawa, arguably the world’s best team secured the services of one of the world’s best blockers. The reigning club world champions, Italian champions and Italian cup and super cup laureates announced a two-year contract with the Argentinean middle, who also arrived in Perugia from Allianz Milan.

“I'm very happy! I'm joining what is currently the strongest team in Italy that won everything last year,” the 2.01m-tall star told sirsafetyperugia.it. “As a child I watched matches on TV and dreamed of playing in Perugia. At the moment, it is one of the strongest teams in the world and I am very happy for this opportunity.”

With this stellar addition, Sir have completed their selection for the middle blockers’ department, which also features Loser’s distinguished compatriot Sebastian Sole, as well as Roberto Russo and Davide Candellaro.

“I am very pleased to play with Seba Sole. He was an important person who helped me a lot, when I arrived in the national team both on and off the court, playing in the same position,” 26-year-old Loser added. “He became a friend of mine. We shared many beautiful memories on the court, such as the Olympic bronze in Tokyo, which will remain forever.”

The Tokyo Olympic bronze in 2021 was undoubtedly the biggest success in Loser’s career so far. At the Games in the Japanese capital, he also topped the best blockers’ chart of the tournament. He did that the next year at the 2022 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship, and again the following year in Volleyball Nations League 2023, and yet again in the following 2023-2024 club season in the Italian SuperLega Credem Banca. Last year, Loser and his Argentinean teammates triumphed with the continental title at the South American Championship. Two years earlier, when Loser picked up his second silver in that competition, he was also named on the Dream Team of the tournament. Back in 2019, at the last edition of the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Cup, the Argentinean middle impressed with his spiking efficiency and topped the best attackers’ ranking of the competition. He also had a solid run through the youth and junior national teams, crowned with the 2017 FIVB Volleyball Men’s U23 World Championship title.

Agustin Loser spent his first years in professional club volleyball with the Argentinean clubs Ciudad Voley Buenos Aires and Bolivar, winning three national trophies, as well as the first edition of Copa Libertadores. In his first international transfer, he moved to France’s Tourcoing Lille Metropole for a couple of seasons, before arriving in Italy to join Allianz for another two seasons. In 2023-2024, Loser gave his important contribution to the Milanese club’s historic success, the SuperLega bronze and a first ticket to Europe’s most prestigious club competition, the CEV Champions League. Loser will indeed play in the next Champions League, but defending the colours of Sir.

“I imagine a club, a staff and a team with great professionalism, where everything works well. I think this aspect was also important to win so much last year, because not only the players are important, but also all the people behind them,” Loser said. “It's clear that in such a high-level team there is pressure to win. It's a very nice challenge for me and I will give my all to help the team win. The objectives are to win everything they play. Last year they had an incredible season. The desire would be to try to repeat it, with the Champions League now a very important target.”

“The Perugia fans are incredible,” he added. “I talked to some friends about this and playing at the Pala Barton is different from other places. You can hear the noise of the fans all game long and when you play against them, it's difficult. It helps a lot to have them on your side. They are the best fans in Italy in my opinion and I am impatient to play the first match with them on my side and not against.”

Between the transfers of Ishikawa and Loser, Sir announced a few other new additions to the roster: 27-year-old setter Francesco Zoppellari arriving from Pallavolo Padova Padua, 27-year-old libero Alessandro Piccinelli returning to Perugia from Cisterna Volley, and 23-year-old outside hitter Nicola Cianciotta coming in from BCC Tecbus Castellana Grotte.