Paola Egonu Wasn’t Enough: Italvolley Defeated in the European Championship Final
Italy’s run at EuroVolley 2026 comes to an end just one step short of the title. At the Sinan Erdem Sports Hall in Istanbul, Julio Velasco’s Azzurre fell 3-2 (25-16, 22-25, 25-12, 21-25, 10-15) to Daniele Santarelli’s Turkey at the end of an intense and hard-fought final, played in front of a crowd fully behind the home team. Despite the loss, Italy received a standing ovation from the entire arena and closed out the tournament with a silver medal that once again attests to the strength of the Italian team. The Italian Volleyball Federation president, Giuseppe Manfredi, and the Italian ambassador to Turkey, Giuseppe Manzo, also paid tribute to the team.
Italy’s journey, which began on August 21 in Gothenburg and continued through Brno to the final in Istanbul, came to an end right at the finish line. Eight consecutive victories had carried the Azzurre to the final, where they suffered their first setback. Turkey thus claimed the continental title for the second time in its history, retaining its status as European champion following its 2023 victory. For Italy, this marks its third European silver medal, following those won in 2001 and 2005. The overall tally for the tournament now stands at nine medals: three golds (2007, 2009, and 2021), three silvers, and three bronzes.
The final lived up to pre-game expectations. On one side was Italy, the reigning Olympic and world champion; on the other was Turkey, the reigning European champion, fueled by the passion of its home crowd. The two teams took turns dominating the match, with the Azzurre managing to bounce back after losing the first and third sets decisively. The fourth set evened the score, but in the tiebreaker, Turkey found the decisive run to close out the match 15–10. The result also reverses what happened less than a year ago. On September 7, 2025, in Bangkok, it was Italy that defeated Turkey 3-2 in the World Championship final, claiming the world title. Twelve months later, in Istanbul, it was Santarelli’s team that celebrated victory in the match for the European gold medal.
Turkey also becomes the fifth national team in history to win the continental title in front of its home crowd, following Bulgaria in 1981, East Germany in 1983, the Netherlands in 1995, and Serbia in 2011. For Santarelli, this marks his second consecutive European title, a feat that places him alongside Massimo Barbolini, who led Italy to back-to-back titles in 2007 and 2009. Finally, the triumph in Istanbul also earns Turkey direct qualification for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, which will mark the national team’s fourth Olympic appearance following the 2012, 2020, and 2024 Games.
