Julio Velasco: A Great Guide to a Great Olympic Gold
After clinching the Olympic gold, coach Julio Velasco shared his thoughts with microphones, Rai listening attentively.
“I’d love to celebrate! (Laughs). We still need to process what we’ve achieved. It was an extraordinary Olympics, we only lost one set, potentially a record. But our mantra was to focus match by match, ball by ball.”
Volleyball is a game where defeat can lurk at any moment, but we stayed in the game, correcting mistakes with clarity and determination. Our defense was on fire, and our blocking was cool. It’s about finding the right balance.”
“There’s immense pride in this team, the staff, and Italian volleyball as a whole. We had everything we needed, and this victory is for the entire movement, even the smaller clubs. Women’s volleyball can take a huge leap in popularity after this. It’s like football for boys – this win can be the catalyst for real quality at all levels.”
“The Olympics come after four years of work, this one after just four months. I made strategic choices to adapt quickly, but players sometimes struggle. These girls embraced the group mentality from the start. Living together under pressure for three weeks requires strong team relationships. Their success and camaraderie are vital.”
“I’ve never been obsessed with gold. I’m not like Baggio, who regrets his penalty. This was an exceptional team, we didn’t win by a landslide, but that’s part of the game. I’ve never prioritized gold above all else. This victory is simply remarkable.”
“This team has achieved great things in the past, but faced some challenges recently. I aimed to restore their glory. Getting first place depends on many factors.”