Italvolley Proves Stronger Even Than the Rain; a (Wet) Debut at the European Championships Ends in Victory

Italy made a wet but victorious debut at the European Volleyball Championships, defeating Sweden 3-0 in the arena set up in Piazza del Plebiscito in Naples. Rain, which began falling just minutes before the opening whistle, forced organizers to postpone the start of the match by 30 minutes, though it did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of the 6,000 spectators in the stands at the completely sold-out event. Two long breaks during the evening did not slow down the Azzurri, who still wrapped up the match before midnight.

In the stands was Italian President Sergio Mattarella, who was greeted with a long round of applause upon his arrival, along with Ministers Giancarlo Giorgetti and Andrea Abodi and CONI President Luciano Buonfiglio. Also in attendance were FIPAV President Giuseppe Manfredi, FIVB President Fabio Azevedo, CEV President Roko Sikirić and Serie A Volleyball League President Claudio Durigon, as well as top officials from the city of Naples—including Mayor Gaetano Manfredi—and the Campania Region, led by President Roberto Fico.

As for the match, the Azzurri displayed high-quality play from the very start, with captain Giannelli serving as the team’s primary playmaker. The Italian setter consistently distributed the ball to all the attackers, allowing the team to maintain control of the match. Sweden, led from the bench by head coach Gido Vermeulen, nevertheless displayed solid overall play and tried to stay close to the Azzurri in the first two sets. Italy, however, managed to handle the most critical moments and, in the third set, further increased the pace, closing out the match without giving their opponents any chance of a comeback.