He made a joke that backfired, and he and his family were threatened with death. Manuel Coscione’s complaint

Manuel Coscione, a setter for Cuneo Volley, reported receiving death threats—some of which were also directed at his family members—after making a serving error on match point in the fifth set. According to the player, the intimidating messages reportedly came from a presumably fake account, via comments posted under one of his old social media posts from two years ago.

The 46-year-old, a former player for numerous Italian and international teams, strongly condemned the incident, reiterating that a mistake during a match can in no way justify personal insults and threats. The setter also announced that he has initiated the necessary procedures to report the incident to the appropriate authorities. Through his statement, the player sought to raise awareness about the importance of respect and the responsible use of social media, emphasizing that sports must be based on values such as sportsmanship and fairness, leaving no room for intimidation or verbal abuse.

“I have always given—and will always give—my all on the court. Unfortunately, yesterday I wasn’t always able to do so; I made my second serving error on our match point in the fifth set, but that doesn’t give anyone the right to attack me personally by dragging my family into it and threatening me in this way with statements that are completely at odds with the spirit of sports. Then, lacking the courage to do so under his own name, this person evidently created a fake profile to comment on a post of mine from two years ago, but I’ve initiated the procedures I believe were appropriate with the relevant authorities because incidents like this must not be swept under the rug,” the athlete wrote.

“It seems that these days, on social media, everyone feels entitled to say anything—judging, threatening, defaming, bullying, and so on—to people who, I believe, wouldn’t even have the courage to open their mouths in person,” he added. Sports are a different matter, but in general, my idea of manners and respect for others is completely different.”