BOLZANO. Bolzano and its volleyball phenomenon, a young but already quite long story. The phenomenon has a name, Simone, and a surname, Giannelli. A phenomenon that before the Covid-19 pandemic turned the lives of each of us upside down, was the best setter in the world. After that there were no more international comparisons. In Italian volleyball for men, six times Olympic medalist, there have been many phenomena, from the eternal Andrea Giani to Andrea Gardini, or to stay close to the local mountains, the Trentino Lorenzo Bernardi elected the “best volleyball player of the twentieth century “.
Giannelli from Bolzano, who has entered the hearts of Trentino fans for his many years of militancy in Trentino Volley, has decided to go on the road and from next season will be at Sir Safety in Perugia. First, however, we must honor the blue jersey at the Tokyo Olympics.
We need to defend, and why not improve, the excellent silver of Rio de Janeiro 2016.
Strengths of the national team of coach Gianlorenzo Blengini as well as Simone are certainly the opposite Ivan Zaytsev, the Tsar, and the hitter Osmany Juantorena.
The one of Italy of men’s volleyball, unlike that of women’s volleyball, promises to be a preliminary round, almost to be won, even Simone prefers to go with lead feet. Debut against Canada, then Poland, then the game that seems to be the most difficult, the one against the landlord Japan. However, the Japanese team will not be carried away by its audience and therefore will be on a par with the other teams. Last engagements with the qualifiers in Asia, Iran, and South America, Venezuela.
As coach Blengini underlined before taking off for Japan regarding the always delicate summons,
“The choices made are based on the need to search for equilibrium in each single department and more generally on the overall needs of a group that will have to develop a certain type of game”.
The Olympic team is also formed by the other setter Riccardo Sbertoli and opposite Luca Vettori, by the spikers Jiri Kovar, Daniele Lavia and Alessandro Michieletto, by the central Simone Anzani, Gianluca Galassi, Matteo Piano and by the free Massimo Colaci.
For her it is the second five-circle experience. After the silver five years ago what are your expectations ?
«We try to do our best to raise the name of Italy. It is certainly always a great joy because we know how difficult it is to qualify. It will be my second Olympics, I am grateful and proud to be able to live it, I can’t wait to represent my Italy in Tokyo. Nothing is taken for granted because even the call-up must be won on the field. The Olympics is always the dream of all athletes ».
What goals does Italy have in volleyball?
«Assuming that at the Olympics there is nothing easy, we are a mixed team between young and experienced but not the strongest. There are stronger teams, Brazil with the addition of Leal is even more formidable than in 2016. France, the United States and Russia have maintained excellent quality. It will be a very high level Olympics, already being there is important because overcoming the qualifications is very difficult and, in this respect, just think of Serbia, which is the current European champion and who will not be there ».
Your qualifying round looks quite affordable.
«Japan has shown to put stronger teams in difficulty and Canada always has high level players. Of course, the other group has stronger nations on the card. We must use the games to grow over the course of the tournament and arrive at the most important moment in perfect condition. We are facing a tournament over several days and the aspect of psychological stability and condition will be very important. We have a clear goal, to fight everyone, to leave everything on the pitch for every single match. We have great respect for everyone: we will play it without fear ».
Let’s talk about her and her career. Did you leave Trentino Volley, why the decision to go to another club?
«Trentino Volley certainly allowed me to grow, I experienced volleyball from a different point of view. I will always be grateful to Trento but now I feel that the time has come to change, to get back into the game and then we’ll see. The desire is to try to win as much as possible. I still have a career ahead, I’m only 24 years old. I used to live in Trento and now I will move to Perugia. Bolzano? I will not go up as often as before but I will come ».
You have already won a lot and there have been many personal awards, is there one you are particularly fond of?
«All victories are beautiful. If I have to say one, the Club World Cup in the final against Macerata. I remember that I was awarded the best setter of the tournament ».