BRUSSELS (BELGIUM) – The wait is over. Today at 17.00 (live TV on Rai2 And Sky Sports Summer) the Italy of David Mazzanti will face Turkey’s Daniel Santarelli in the challenge valid for the first semifinal of the 2023 Women’s European Championship.
Appointment set in a Palais 12 in Brussels which promises to be packed for a challenge that will put two of the top teams in world volleyball facing each other.
On the one hand, Italy returning from a perfect path so far (7 wins with 0 sets lost), and on the other Turkey (7 wins out of 7) who in the quarter-final overcame Poland with a sometimes fought 3- 0.
In the last two matches with Italy (VNL 2023) the Turks have always won clearly (3-0 in Antalya in the first leg and 3-0 in Arlington in the Finals).
Topics addressed yesterday morning during the usual media meeting organized by the CEV to present the awaited match in which the blue CT took part David Mazzanti and captain Myriam Sylla together with the Turkish captain Eda Erdemand to the CT Daniel Santarelli.
David Mazzanti: “It will be a great match against a great team like Turkey – analyzed Mazzanti -. We know the opponent well, we know what his strengths are and at the same time we are aware of what we will have to do. It will certainly be a beautiful game to live and play, to be faced with the right attention by putting intensity and pace into play. What we did two years ago in Serbia when we won the European title is something we will carry with us forever but it belongs to the past. We are now living a new story that will have to go through a semi-final to play giving the maximum. Turkey is a great team, with an important individuality which however does not represent the only danger. Vargas is undoubtedly their main weapon but we will have to be good at containing their game in general which has grown a lot in recent months”.
Myriam Sylla: “There is no specific aspect to winning this match – admitted Captain Sylla – and I would be a liar if I told you one. They are a great team that literally dominated us in VNL, but today we are another Italy that, beyond the grafts, has matured and has adopted a way of playing that we’ve been working on since May. So far we have expressed ourselves very well and bringing out a great team cohesion which will also be the basis of the next commitments. There is great respect for our opponents, for their staff, directed by one of the best coaches in the world that we know well, but at the same time we are also aware of what we are and what we can do.”
Daniel Santarelli (CT Türkiye) – “We’ve only been together for three months to prepare for such an important competition – the Turkey coach began – but so far my experience has been amazing. I am very happy and proud to coach such an important national team. I’m aware that this is a very tiring summer, not only for the matches played so far but also looking at the next tournament which is very important. But now we are focused on the moment and the moment is represented by the semi-final match against Italy. We will face a crazy team ”.
Eda Erdem (Captain Türkiye): “I think many things have changed this year – added the Turkish captain – new players have arrived who have proved to be super both on the pitch and as people. Our training and playing style has changed and in a short time to make Turkish volleyball even better than it already was both at European and world level. Now we face Italy and it will certainly be a great match against one of the strongest national teams in the world”.
Semi-finals in Brussels, Friday 1st September
17.00 Türkiye – Italy
20.30 Serbia – Holland
Turkey’s 2 pm
Setters: 12. Elif Sahin, 3. Cansu Ozbay.
Opposites: 4. Melissa Vargas, 99. Ebrar Karakurt.
crushers: 7. Hande Baladin, 11. Derya Cebecioglu, 22. Ilkin Aydin.
Plants: 6. Kubra Akman, 14. Eda Erdem (C), 18. Zehra Gunes, 19. Asli Kalac.
free: 1. Ginzem Orge, 2. Simge Akoz, 5. Ayca Aykac.
CT: Daniel Santarelli
Italy-Türkiye precedents
49 victories, 20 defeats, 69 races played.
