The German Volleyball Association has found a successor for the resigned men’s national coach Michal Winiarski.
As the DVV announced on Friday, Massimo Botti, currently head coach of the Polish first division club Asseco Resovia Rzeszow, is taking over the position. The 52-year-old Italian signed a contract until 2028.
“Massimo is still a comparatively young coach, but he has already proven in different teams and countries that he can lead teams successfully,” said DVV head national coach Christian Dünes: “Although he hasn’t coached a national team yet, that’s exactly what makes his motivation to be successful with Germany all the greater.“
Massimo Botti – former middle blocker
The former middle blocker won the Italian championship and the CEV Challenge Cup twice as a player. He began his coaching career in 2016 with Canottieri Ongina and later celebrated winning the Italian Cup with Gas Sales Piacenza. With Bogdanka LUK Lublin he won both the Polish championship and the Challenge Cup last year.
Botti has been looking after Asseco Resovia Rzeszow since this season and is now aiming to qualify for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles with the DVV men. “That’s my dream,” said the Italian: “The German team has a lot of potential, but at the same time it is a big challenge. We now have three years to continually improve and get the best out of the players.“
Botti: “I’m very proud”
Botti’s new job is “with great curiosity and a lot of anticipation” to: “I am very proud and look forward to working with the German national team.”
Botti succeeds Winiarski at DVV, who resigned in November for personal reasons. Under the leadership of the Pole, who was also responsible for Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie in the Polish PlusLiga in parallel to his work with the national team, the German volleyball players made it to the Olympic Games in the summer of 2024 for the first time in twelve years.