After winning the silver medal in the Volleyball Nations League (VNL), the Italian national team took a short break before starting their final preparations for the 2025 World Championship, which will be held in September in the Philippines.
Coach Ferdinando De Giorgi announced a list of 15 players who will participate in the training camp in Cervia, and one of them will be dropped for the championship itself.
VNL Performance and Outlook
Italy reached the VNL final, but Poland proved decisively stronger there and won the gold. Nevertheless, the "Azzurri" remain among the main favorites for the world title, which they will try to defend. Preparation will focus on the optimal form of the key players and the decision on who will be dropped from the squad, with the main uncertainties being among the middle blockers.
Italy's Squad for Preparation
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Setters | Simone Giannelli, Riccardo Sbertoli |
| Middle Blockers | Gianluca Galassi, Simone Anzani, Giovanni Gargiulo, Roberto Russo, Giovanni Sanguinetti |
| Outside Hitters | Mattia Bottolo, Daniele Lavia, Alessandro Michieletto, Luca Porro |
| Opposite Hitters | Kamil Rychlicki, Yuri Romano |
| Liberos | Fabio Balaso, Domenico Pace |
The squad is almost identical to the one from the VNL, with the only intrigue related to the selection of four out of five middle blockers. The Giannelli - Sbertoli tandem guarantees stability in setting, and the attack will rely on the powerful combination of Michieletto - Romano.
Preparation in Cervia and Tournament in Turin
The team will remain in Cervia until Thursday, where they will conduct intensive training, including work on block-defense and adapting to the expected climatic conditions in the Philippines. De Giorgi has already hinted that the last friendly match before the World Championship will be crucial for the final squad. Before that, from August 29 to 31, the prestigious international tournament Fipav Cup Men Elite 2025 will be held at the "PalaVela" hall in Turin, featuring the national teams of Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, and Turkey. The format is a classic four-team tournament over three days, which will allow the Italians to test their strength against quality opponents from the European elite.
This will be a valuable test for refining tactical schemes and checking physical form before the final phase of preparation for Manila. The tournament in Turin will bring big men's volleyball back under the city's dome and gather an audience, specialists, and sports fans for three days of intense emotions and spectacular matches.
photo:volleyballworld.com
