It is a Volleyball Nations League that has said a lot but certainly not everything in an Olympic key, the one that has just ended in Lodz with the surprise victory (surprise?) of France of Andrea Giani and Roberto Ciamarra. The first thing, in fact, concerns the transalpines, perhaps considered by most to be out of the game to collect the big target at the Olympics: instead Ngapeth and his teammates have shown that they are still capable of making the difference especially in the single match, demonstrating against the host Poland and also with Japan in the final that they have all the credentials to cause difficulty to anyone with their web of defenses, replays, patience.
Speaking of Japan, the growth of Ishikawa and his teammates has been constant and impressive. Argentina, led by Luciano De Cecco, on the other hand, is starting a step behind the others, even though the director, to date, is the only Modena Volley player who is truly sure of going to Paris. In fact, Tommaso Rinaldi has now been excluded from the circle that counts for the five circles, who, although called up, experienced the last VNL pool in Ljubljana and also the quarter-final lost against France in this final act as a spectator, without ever having an opportunity to show off. De Giorgi will call up Michieletto, Lavia, Porro, Bottolo and will choose whether to keep Recine as a bonus (i.e. thirteenth man). Sanguinetti is more in the fight, hoping for a place among the middle blockers, even if it seems difficult that De Giorgi thinks of bringing four with him. The other player from Modena who seems to have a good chance of being in France in twenty-five days is Simone Anzani, who was rested with the starters in these last three weeks of matches. The Modena delegation, however, is not limited to the players alone; in fact, the women’s team is full of Gemini players in the technical staff. And if for Velasco and Barbolini it is not a first time, for Francesco Bettalico, a very young physiotherapist who grew up first in Villa d’oro and then in the youth national teams when Velasco was technical director, it will be a first experience to live in one breath and to tell. Without forgetting Giovanni Guidetti, who with his Serbia is preparing for his fourth Olympics.
Alessandro Trebbi
