The chairwoman expects an apology from Rai and Paolo Petrecca

“It was a great honor for Numia Vero Volley Milan and for all Italian volleyball to participate, with our athletes, in the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics. However, I expect a formal apology from Rai and the director of RaiSport, who hosted the evening, for not recognizing the national team athletes Carlotta Cambi and “our” Anna Danesi, Olympic and world gold medalist and captain of Italy’Italy”.

Aldo Seghedoni

Alessandra Marzari, the president of the Milan volleyball club, does not intend to let what happened on Friday night slide, and she said so very explicitly. The strongest criticism of Petrecca came from the volleyball world. The Rai Sport director did not even acknowledge Simone Giannelli, captain of the men’s national team and two-time world champion. Of the six volleyball players carrying the flashlight, he mentioned only Paola Egonu, without mentioning Carlotta Cambi, Anna Danesi, Simone Anzani, and Luca Porro. Giannelli himself later commented on the episode on Instagram with irony: “Thanks to the commentators, only Paola Egonu is famous,” adding immediately afterwards, “But let’s not take it to heart… it was nice anyway.”

On the eve of the Winter Games, after a period of strained relations with the editorial staff of Rai News 24, Petrecca was chosen as director of Rai Sport. A role of great responsibility, to which was added at the last moment also that of commentator of the opening ceremony.

Originally, in fact, his name was not expected: the commentary had been entrusted to Auro Bulbarelli, a longtime sports journalist and former director of Rai Sport. However, the early release of the news about the presence of President Sergio Mattarella would have triggered a sudden change. The former CONI president, Giovanni Malagò, strongly denied it, even showing some annoyance at what was called an undue anticipation, which later turned out to be correct. This was confirmed by the video, much appreciated by the public, of Mattarella on the streetcar driven by Valentino Rossi. After the reversal, next to Petrecca remained the writer Fabio Genovesi, already accustomed to this kind of commentary thanks also to the Giro d’Italia, and Stefania Belmondo, a great cross-country skiing champion, who was, however, often interrupted during her speeches.

From the first lines, there was no shortage of inaccuracies. Petrecca, a Lazio fan, mentioned the Stadio Olimpico in Rome instead of San Siro. Soon after, he confused Matilda De Angelis with Mariah Carey, stars of the show at different times. He then mistook IOC President Kirsty Coventry for President Mattarella’s daughter. A joke he made about the sequence dedicated to Verdi, Rossini and Puccini also caused discussion: “If Puccini had been called Bianchini we would have had Rossini, Bianchini and Verdi to represent the colors of our flag.”