Following their successful participation in the international tournament in Turin, where the "Azzurri" competed against Turkey, Germany, and the Netherlands, the Italian national team continues its preparation for the World Championship in the Philippines (September 12–28). Ferdinando De Giorgi's team will gather on September 3 at Fiumicino Airport in Rome and depart for Tokyo.
In Japan, the Italians will hold a training camp between September 4 and 9, where they will have joint sessions with the hosts, led by French specialist Laurent Tillie. Two friendly matches will also be played on September 6 and 7 at LaLa Arena Tokyo Bay.
On September 9, the team will fly to Manila, where the big challenge begins – the pursuit of the world title.
Italy's squad for the camp in Japan
| Position | Player |
|---|---|
| Setters | Simone Giannelli, Riccardo Sbertoli |
| Middle Blockers | Gianluca Galassi, Simone Anzani, Giovanni Gargiulo, Roberto Russo, Giovanni Sanguinetti |
| Outside Hitters | Mattia Bottolo, Alessandro Michieletto, Luca Porro, Francesco Sani |
| Opposite Hitters | Kamil Rychlicki, Yuri Romano |
| Liberos | Fabio Balaso, Domenico Pace |
De Giorgi is taking a maximum squad of 15 players and will have to make the final selection of 14 athletes just before the start of the World Championship. The competition among the middle blockers, with five called up, as well as the rejuvenation of the outside hitters with Porro and Sani, is notable. Giovanni Gargiulo and Yuri Romano, who were rested during the Turin tournament due to injuries, are also going to Japan. Daniele Lavia has dropped out of the squad after suffering a training incident and will be sidelined for at least 3 months.
The staff remains unchanged from the last tournaments – a clear sign of stability and trust in De Giorgi's team. The presence of former national setter Marco Meoni as an assistant coach brings valuable experience in working with setters. Also present is Ivan Contrario, who has worked with the Bulgarian staff as well.
photo: FIPAV
