Handball, Italy makes history: at the World Cup after 27 years
Decisive victory over Montenegro in Pogdorica (34-32 the final)
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Masterpiece of Italian handball. Italy snatched the pass for the 2025 World Championships. After 27 years of waiting (only participation back in1997), Riccardo Trillini’s Azzurri write history. At the end of a spectacular test in the very hot Morača Sport Center in Podgorica, in front of 6 thousand spectators, the national team beat hosts Montenegro 34-32, repeating the 32-26 of the first leg match at Pala San Giacomo in Conversano.
Incredible team performance of the Azzurri, who therefore hit a historic result for the handball world. "It è realized a dream for all of us. We had on our shoulders a responsibility to all the fans, fans, coaches and trainers, players and players, managers. They can all raise their heads again when it comes to Italian handball. I think it is an improvement that came slowly, but it required a major result, we knew that. We started from afar in these years. I thank the Federation that let us work so hard, as it had not happened before. I thank all the players who have passed through the national team over these years starting with the various Maione, Fovio, Skatar, Sonnerer and I would like to name them all… They have transmitted a great mentalityà, helped in the growth. And lastly, I would like to extend a special thanks to Dean Turkovic becauseé remember that when the ball was hot, he always put it in at the first post", the words of blue coach Trillini.
"We have written history,” said captain Andrea Parisini.
I hope this step can make people discover that this sport exists and that there are guys who make great sacrifices to make themselves and to make it known. We did a crazy thing. It was one thing to come here and suffer, to manage the result; instead, we told ourselves that they were the same as Thursday and we wanted to show that the Conversano victory was not an episode. We played our game, imposed our speed and did something special. I’m proud of these guys, of the movement, of the work that è has been done over the years, between good moments but also failures, missed qualifiers. This time we are there. We are going to the World Cup. It will remain; in the history of our handball".
In front of the 6,000 in Morača, Italy è took the field with swagger. To those who imagined a fearful National Team, the National Team responded by playing unabashedly. Brilliant performance by Jack Savini, author of the 2-2 and stoic, along with twins Marco and Simone Mengon, after Pablo Marrochi left the field due to injury in the 3rd. But Italy è in the game and è very good at getting out of their surroundings to play their best handball. Speed, defensive intensity and Ebner’s saves barred the way for Balkan attempts. By Savini, again him, the 9-6 at the 15’. Bronzo, author of eight goals and, together with Simone Mengon, the best scorer of the contest, also shoots well. We go to the break with a substantial lead, 17-13. Encouraging gap, but Italy does not get out of the game. No room for Montenegrin reaction, exhausted with Bakic’s 27-26 at 46’. In the middle the maximum Italian advantage (25-20). Minutes pass, awareness grows. The Mengon twins dominate the end of the game. Until the final whistle.
