Andrea Cassarà: A New Life in Russia for the Former Olympic Champion

Andrea Cassarà is ready to embark on a new professional adventure in Russia. The former Italian foil champion will take the helm of the men’s and women’s national fencing teams, thus joining the ranks of Italian coaches working abroad. This decision comes about a month after Emanuela Maccarani was appointed head coach of the Russian national rhythmic gymnastics team.

Cassarà will be tasked with guiding Russian fencing back to competitive normalcy after years marked by restrictions imposed on athletes in the wake of the war. The former fencer considers the Russian position one of the most prestigious roles for a fencing coach, on par with leading the Italian national team, especially given the country’s rich tradition in the sport. He also chose not to delve into political issues, citing the International Olympic Committee’s stance on the separation of sports and politics and emphasizing the value of sports as a unifying force.

Throughout his career, Cassarà has won two gold medals and one bronze medal at the Olympic Games. He will be the second Italian to hold this position after Stefano Cerioni and will join the ranks of other Italian coaches who have worked in Russian sports. Among them is Ezio Gamba, a judo legend who became an honorary Russian citizen and served as Vladimir Putin’s personal coach.

His debut in the new role is scheduled for next week in Takamatsu, Japan—the first stop on the road to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. For Cassarà, it will be particularly exciting to face Italy as an opponent, especially since he will be reunited with Simone Vanni—his teammate at the Athens Games—on the Italian bench. The former foil fencer sees this as an unusual situation, but also a source of great pride for both of them.