Paola Egonu, Francesca Piccinini explain what’s missing

Former Azzurra after World Volleyball Championship: “The national team needs a leader, Paola Egonu and the others are still too young”

Former Italian volleyball player Francesca Piccinini in an interview with Corriere della Sera spoke about Paola Egonu and the Italian national team, which finished third in the last World Cup: “The team needs a leader. Paola Egonu and others are too young, today the lighthouse is Monica De Gennaro. Very good, however, an even more iconic figure would be needed.”

Still on Egonu and her place on the team: “Can a star player become unwieldy? There are always those who emerge, in a team. You need the intelligence of your teammates, but also how you position yourself towards them.”

On the 2002 victory: “In that World Cup everything went perfectly: we took each other by the hand, including the coaches, a magic dragged us. The shock of Maurizia Cacciatori’s exclusion? That was not what charged us. Rather, our feat reminds me of Italy’s recent men’s World Cup victory: they were not favored but looked after their own and made it to the title.”