Julio Velasco charges the Azzurre ahead of the World Cup round of 16

It is time for the round of 16 for Italy. Appointment set for tomorrow at 12:00 p.m. Italian time (live coverage by Rai 2, Dazn, RaiPlay and VBTV) at PalaHuamark in Bangkok where the Azzurri will face Italian coach Giulio Bregoli’s Germany in the first in-or-out match of the World Championships.

This (Thai) morning, captain Danesi and her teammates held their first training session at the PalaHuamark, already the scene of VNL success on June 23, 2024. The first success of the Velasco era that now, again in Bangkok, the Azzurri will try to upgrade starting with the challenge with Germany.

“Germany is undoubtedly a strong team,” said Julio Velasco, “and precisely because they are a strong team, certainly, they will put us in difficulty. They are physical, much improved in reception and in general in every aspect of the game thanks also to the excellent work done by Giulio Bregoli. They are good at batting tactically, their central players are very effective both in attack and at the wall and then they also have at their disposal experienced players like Stigrot who when they are called upon know how to make an impact. I think it is necessary to fight the mentality that when you win you are strong and when you encounter difficulties everything goes wrong”.

“It is not that because we are Italy we have to win every match 3-0 or 3-1, you can also win on tiebreak, as I often tell the girls, 32-30, but the important thing is to win. We have to be strong of heart and spirit to withstand these difficulties and above all to be ready even for long matches full of pitfalls. The team is very focused, the problem might be getting into match rhythm after a few days of break and with some players who have played little. I am thinking of Antropova and Cambi for example, but in general already this year the girls have surprised me, for example, when they returned from vacation, when it would have been legitimate to expect some bad training, and instead they were able to give their best immediately. It is clear that this group has this ability and therefore we will have to play well with the goal of getting through the round.”