Volleyball, Superlega: ‘Taranto, a new salvation and let’s build the future’

If a GPS of the volleyball benches existed, Vincenzo Di Pinto’s would cross over and over again with all the Apulian teams that have played at least once in Serie A. Starting from Turi in 1980 (hence the nickname Wizard of Turi, like Oronzo Pugliese football coach who became famous for beating Inter in the mid-60s with Foggia). Perhaps he has stopped counting the promotions obtained, what he has not stopped doing is looking for volleyball “miracles”. That is to save (again) Gioiella Taranto, today third from last in the standings after Sunday’s victory in Siena, in a direct match. «The road is very long – says Di Pinto, 63 -. For the moment we have won 3 victories in 9 races, but the competition from Padua and Siena is strong and nothing is enough to upset a very delicate balance». Like those who want Southern clubs often in difficulty to survive in the top division. «I think that historically there are two reasons: the first is economic, the second is cultural. There is a lack of skills and experience that need to be built. Even if Puglia is a region that has a large number of members in the men’s sector and has leading figures such as Ferdinando De Giorgi and Giuseppe Manfredi (Italy’s coach of the world champion and president of the Federation, ed), it is not easy to establish a club on the territory. We are trying also and above all thanks to the passion and competence of the president Antonio Bongiovanni and the vice president Elisabetta Zelatore who in the midst of the pandemic have “invented” to return to volleyball, launching this new project in Taranto, in a moment that is also economically very delicate due to Covid. I don’t know how many other executives would have made such a choice. We won the A-2 division championship straight away, despite fierce competition. Last year we achieved salvation and this year we will try to repeat ourselves even if with very different conditions».

Roster redone

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«At the end of last season we had to redo more than half the team. And we started again from the Falaschi-Stefani diagonal, our bomber, to whom we have given much more responsibility in this new adventure. Together with the central Alletti they are our continuity. The hardest thing? When you have one of the smallest budgets in the entire Superlega you can’t afford mistakes. You pay dearly for every mistake. We have built a team with a mix of experienced and young players who need to perform. Someone we hope to launch in the next few seasons. I think it will be a fight to the end with Siena and Padova. And since there isn’t a team, like last year, that loses all the games, the salvation quota will drop a lot, I’d say around 18-20 points. With Vito Primavera (a former player of Vincenzo’s, who has now become the general manager of the club, ed) we know that no move can be wrong. The recipe is the usual: feet firmly on the ground. To conquer the points we lack first and then the territory».

Project

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«The top management of the club, Bongiovanni in the lead, are already working in this direction: the consolidation of the club. But the process is long, it takes some time. We’ve already had some good feedback, there are new realities that are approaching us, who are interested. Some have already entered, but it is clear that in order to consolidate the process and therefore take root even more, we need to conquer salvation even at the end of this year (only the last one goes back, ed). It would also be a signal for the whole movement, at the regional level. Taranto would become a point of reference for all those professionals who want to work in high-level volleyball, also making the base grow». In short, another “miracle” of the Wizard of Turi is needed…