Water polo, on the scudetto playoffs at the start: the wind of Trieste is blowing

There could be no doubts about Pro Recco and Brescia. Even Savona has kept faith with its promises, although it only hits the finish line on the last day of a regular season upset by Covid cases (and remodeled in the second part with a more streamlined formula). The surprise is called Trieste, for the first time in the semifinals: “We will play the playoffs with respect, but also without pressure. And this is an advantage ”observes the coach Daniele Bettini, born in Genoa in 1977, father of Dafne, the new face of the Setterosa. He was an excellent player as was Andrea Brazzatti, who is the director of this club and has been far-sighted on many signings. A quality that obviously belongs above all to the president Enrico Samer, when after the promotion of the A-2 he prophesied: “In 7-8 years we want to get to play for the championship”. It was 2015, Stefano Piccardo was on the bench and the bora had returned to blow on the top league 53 years after the last appearance of the Triestina (Scudetto in 1929, interrupting the hegemony of Andrea Doria).

HISTORY

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The company was born in 2003 from the merger of Ivy (founded in 1904) and of Triestina itself (1918). The passion for water polo was passed on to Enrico Samer by his father Dario, a former player. Their shipping agency made history, giving life to the famous “motorway of the sea” between Europe and Turkey. The only intermodal model in the world: ship, road, rail and air. A sporting climb through a beautiful swimming pool – the federal center Bruno Bianchi – and the fruitful work with the nursery: from Michele Mezzarobba to Andrea Mladossich, there is no shortage of talents in blue hues. In the city that gave birth to Cesare Rubini, legend of water polo and basketball, the signs of a special year had reached the fourth day, October 30, when Brescia fell in Trieste (13-12). The Italian champions will be the opponents of Bettini’s boys tomorrow, second against third in the regular season (44 and 38 points). At the command the Pro Recco (57) finished with full points, finding Savona, fourth (37), once again becoming a precious reservoir for the Settebello. It is played best of three games. Pro Recco-Savona has been three times in the tricolor final: in ’92 the Savonais won (2-1 in the series), in 2010 and 2011 the Biancocelesti won (3-0 and 2-1). The playoffs were established in 1983-84.

ON TV

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Broad and appreciated coverage of RaiSport which will begin with Brescia-Trieste and will continue with Savona-Pro Recco, after having already launched the women’s playoffs with the Padua-Verona broadcast (the other challenge is Orizzonte-Rome). The semifinals for the 5th place that gives access to the Euro Cup also start, on the same dates as the championship races: the intersections are Ortigia-Quinto and Telimar-Salerno. While Milan and Rome are at stake for salvation, with a possible beauty in Lombardy. Lazio have already been relegated.

SEMIFINALS: Friday 6 Pro Recco-Savona (18), Brescia-Trieste (18.30); Saturday 14 Trieste-Brescia (16.30), Savona-Pro Recco (18); Wednesday 18 eventual match-3 Pro Recco-Savona (18), Brescia-Trieste (20).

THE FINAL: Saturday 21 and Wednesday 25, eventual race-3 Saturday 28.