World Italvolleyball: sky-high enthusiasm for our champions

From our correspondent Andrea Buongiovanni

September 23
– TRENTO

What enthusiasm, what effervescence: Fefè De Giorgi and seven of his boys, new world champions, fill the Santa Chiara Auditorium, full of people and passion, with emotions for an hour that flies very fast. Only twelve days have passed since the Katowice undertaking and the memories are therefore very fresh. Each player, urged by Gian Luca Pasini and a highly acclaimed Andrea Zorzi, tells their own, summarizing them with an adjective. In no particular order: Fabio Balaso chooses “incredible”, Simone Anzani (after long reflection) “godurioso”, Gianluca Galassi “unforgettable”, Riccardo Sbertoli “moving”, Daniele Lavia “memorable”, Alessandro Michieletto “historical”. Only Leonardo Scanferla prefers a slightly more articulated discourse.

The secret

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And then there is him, De Giorgi, someone who seems even more at ease on stage than on a field, a true stage animal with an always ready joke. The coach opts for “special”. And he adds: “Like the boys during this journey, in which they transmitted strong values”. He makes a premise (“The team has received many awards, but there was an oversight: Lavia deserved to be named best player in the World Cup in his role, if not absolute MVP”). Then he jumps from one topic to another, winning admiration and continuous smiles: “Our secret is the culture of work – he says – as well as the refusal to mediocrity and superficiality. I, then, can’t stand that he says to me ‘I try’ . For me there is the doing or the not doing “.

THE PERSPECTIVES

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The conquest of the world title one year after the European one offers volleyball a great showcase, gives an enormous propulsion. “The team is young – explains Fefè – but we don’t get our heads up. Let’s enjoy the result, take advantage of the moment and, remembering that this project was built day by day, we look to the future with confidence, even up to the 2024 Olympics in Paris. , but with the right calm and the necessary tranquility “.

THE PLAYERS

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The players are also entertained and entertaining. The story is full of anecdotes. Two sentences for all. Anzani: “Hearing 13,000 Poles singing the anthem without a backing track before the final frightened us a bit. But then, in ecstasy, when the finish line was near, I shouted: ‘I can’t hear you anymore!’. Now we want to write even more important pages of this story “. Michieletto: “We have always had faith in ourselves. Even when against Poland we found ourselves down by a set and by 3 or 4 points at the beginning of the second. How? Trusting each other and focusing on our strengths , for example the ball change “. And down, another storm of applause.