From Panini Modena to Olympic gold with Italy – the story of the most successful volleyball coach on three continents

Julio Velasco was born on February 9, 1952, in La Plata, Argentina. He took his first steps as a coach in Europe in 1983, when he took over Jesi in Italy's Serie A2.
His true career as a champion began two years later – at Panini Modena, where a golden era started.

Between 1986 and 1989, Velasco led Modena to four consecutive scudetti, three Italian Cups, and one Supercup. The 1986/87 season was particularly impressive – a title won with an all-Italian squad and young talents like Andrea Bernard (18), Luca Cantagalli (21), Ferdinando Vullo (22), Andrea Giretti (22), and only one foreigner – 19-year-old Argentinian Esteban De Palma, who even remained a reserve.

In 1989, Velasco became the head coach of the Italian men's national team. The most glorious years in the history of Italian volleyball followed:

Impressive fact – in the World League, Italy never plays with its starting six, yet still dominates. In 1995, the team defeated host Brazil twice in front of 25,000 people at "Maracanazinho" with a rejuvenated squad.

📊 Statistics – Italy men's national team

Velasco's exceptional effectiveness at the helm of the men's national team transformed Italy into a superpower and set the standards for modern volleyball.

After the end of the Olympic cycle in Atlanta 1996, Velasco took over the Italian women's national team (1997–1998), and subsequently tried his hand as a sporting director at football clubs Lazio and Inter.

Volleyball, however, remained his passion. In 2001, he coached the Czech Republic, and then clubs in Serie A – Piacenza, Modena, and Montichiari. Engagements with Spain (2009) and Iran (2011–2014) followed, where he won two Asian titles, including Iran's first in history.

In 2014, Velasco took over his homeland and won the Pan American Games. He left the Argentine national team after the 2018 World Championship. In the same year, he returned to Modena and won the Italian Supercup. At the end of the season, he announced the end of his coaching career.

In 2019, Velasco became the technical director of the men's youth teams in Italy. Under his leadership, new successes came:

📊 Titles under Velasco's leadership – youth teams

Velasco's work with the next generation of players ensures the future of Italian volleyball at the highest level.

On January 1, 2024, Julio Velasco took over the Italian women's national team. In the summer of the same year, he won the VNL andthe first Olympic goldin Italy's history after a convincing success over the USA (3:0) in Paris.

In 2025, Italy repeated its success in the VNL and recorded a record-breaking29 consecutive winsin official matches.

📊 Statistics - Italy women's national team

🏐Historical achievements of Italy under Julio Velasco (women, 2024–2025)

Under the leadership of Julio Velasco, the Italian women's national team reached historical heights in 2024 and 2025:

• ✅29 consecutive official victories- newrecord for Italian volleyballin the 21st century, including two VNL triumphs and an Olympic title.

• 🥇3 consecutive gold medals from major international tournaments (FIVB/CEV)– VNL 2024, Paris 2024 Olympics, VNL 2025.

• 🏅 First gold Olympic medal in volleyball (women) in Italy's history– 3:0 victory over USA in the final in Paris.

• 📈 New European record (XXI century)for most consecutive official victories by a team from the continent.

• 🌍 Second all-time resultin the world ranking for consecutive official matches won.

• ⏱️ 421 days without a loss in an official match– a period of complete dominance on the international stage.

• 📊 94% success rate in official matchesduring Velasco's tenure – an absolute peak in the team's modern history.
  
  
  Velasco becomes the only coach in history with continental titles in two different confederations (Europe and Asia) and with triumphs on three continents – a true coaching legend!
  
  photo:volleyballworld.com