Men's Volleyball FIVB World Championship 2025

[hoversaBR 872]

3 minutes ago, copravolley said:

What does this mean? Do you think, that Italy only wants gold and then bronze doesn't matter to them?

 

However, I think that the Italy Women's NT is too weak in OH position, expect Sylla, to be a 100% favorite in every match and this was evident in the semi-finals and final of the World Championships. With Pietrini in good form, it would probably  2x 3-0/3-1 wins, but not with Nervini or Giovannini, or with Fahr and Orro injured.

I don't think bronze doesn't matter, but volleyball is still a mental sport. When a team really wants gold, it can be hard to accept a loss. Especially for a generation like Italy, prepared to win everything. Even our legendary team from the 2000s struggled to win bronze.

 

Regarding the women's team, we were also without two starters (Ana Cristina and Nyeme). I hope that a Brazil vs. Italy match at full strength can happen. 

[hoversaBR 872]

25 minutes ago, copravolley said:

Who do you think is stronger: Brazil from 2004-2006 or current Poland?

I don't think it's worth asking a Brazilian about this. 

This Brazil had no weaknesses. Poland has three problems: the setter, the libero (who is decent, but far from Zatorski's level), and Leon's receiving.

[copravolley 643]

12 minutes ago, hoversaBR said:

I don't think it's worth asking a Brazilian about this. 

This Brazil had no weaknesses. Poland has three problems: the setter, the libero (who is decent, but far from Zatorski's level), and Leon's receiving.

In all 2002 season, Brazil still had difficult matches against Russia (they lost the World League final in Bello Horizonte? and in the 2002 World Champ final against them: they won only 3-2), but from the following year they reached a another- higher level.

 

It happens different in various cases. For example, as an Italian, I'm more critical of my own athletes than of other athletes. Although I'm too young to remember the golden generation of Italians in the 1990s: I only remember the gold medal at the 1998 World Championships and the painful defeat to Yugoslavia in the semi-finals of the OG in Sydney.

Edited September 25, 2025 by copravolley

[copravolley 643]

22 minutes ago, hoversaBR said:

I don't think bronze doesn't matter, but volleyball is still a mental sport. When a team really wants gold, it can be hard to accept a loss. Especially for a generation like Italy, prepared to win everything. Even our legendary team from the 2000s struggled to win bronze.

 

Regarding the women's team, we were also without two starters (Ana Cristina and Nyeme). I hope that a Brazil vs. Italy match at full strength can happen. 

Our women's team was going only for gold, and any other result would have been a huge dissapointing. However, I think the men's team should respect every medal: including the silver from the VNL and the possible bronze here. We weren't the main favorites here and on paper we should have been eliminated in the quarterfinals by France, so now every match we win is in our favor.

[George_D 1,640]

33 minutes ago, copravolley said:

Our women's team was going only for gold, and any other result would have been a huge dissapointing. However, I think the men's team should respect every medal: including the silver from the VNL and the possible bronze here. We weren't the main favorites here and on paper we should have been eliminated in the quarterfinals by France, so now every match we win is in our favor.

What Italy men's team is missing is the Olympic gold

[copravolley 643]

38 minutes ago, George_D said:

What Italy men's team is missing is the Olympic gold

That's why the women's NT has been much more popular since last year, than man NT, because they were the first to do this

 

 

 

About our men teams in OG:

 

 

- 1996: I remember it a foggy memories, but it was a huge lost and trauma – we were the big favorites there,

 

- 2000: bronze, we lost to then-outstanding Yugoslavia, who, in that 1/2 final, had fully realized their great potential against us (previously our matches were even, but Italy always won, foe example, the 1998 World Championship final). Later Yugoslavia outclassing Russia 3-0 in the final, so it was a premature final against them,

 

- 2004: silver: we played against Brazil in the final, but it was their time and we had any chance,

 

- 2008: 4th place- the end of the former powerhouse that barely qualified for this OG: a dramatic match in Tokyo against Japan in the qualifying round in May 2008,

 

- 2012: bronze, which was a great success because we had much less potential at that time,

 

- 2016: silver and another defeat to Brazil in the final in Rio. Back then, Zaitsev and Juantorena were leading Italian Team and it was a big disappointment, because it wasn't the great Brazil of 2004 anymore, even though they were playing at home,

 

- 2020/2021: 6th place and our worst performance of the 21st century. The twilight of Zaitsev, Juantorena and Blengini on the coaching bench- current coach of Bulgaria,

 

- 2024: 4th place, but achieved with a very young team. We didn't arrive in form for the key matches of the tournament: two big 0-3 losses to France and the USA+ a dramatic quarterfinal winning match against Japan. It was disappointing, but also a feeling that`s a just beginning for us.

Edited September 25, 2025 by copravolley

[George_D 1,640]

22 minutes ago, copravolley said:

That's why the women's NT has been much more popular since last year, than man NT, because they were the first to do this

 

 

 

About our men teams in OG:

 

 

- 1996: I remember it a foggy memories, but it was a huge lost and trauma – we were the big favorites there,

 

 

1996 Olympic men's  volleyball final was the greatest in history

[hckošice 16,630]

8 hours ago, Josh said:

 
 

First semi since 1970! 

ehm ehm... 1970 there were no czech republic at that time 

[hckošice 16,630]

7 hours ago, copravolley said:

I wonder if Kosice is happy?

Sure, he is. He not really like volleyball but yeah, he is quite happy for his czech brothers 

[Federer91 3,386]

Oh man, what a match, what a match   

I was at work today, when it started, so i wasn't fully focused. Some work, some game and if i have to be honest, when we lost convincingly the first 2 sets i was very disappointed and turned the game off. Everything was going as ever, we are good, but not good enough when it matters the most. 

 

And when i got home, to my utter surprise, the match was still going and the tiebreak was just beginning. It was like i was watching a completely different team from the first 2 sets. Of course afterwards i rewind and saw the full match again. 

 

Everyone knows that these players have talent and potential, but this summer they are showing a quality that has never been a strong suite for our athletes - believing in their abilities and not giving up, when things are not going their way. I hope they will add performing under pressure as another quality after this tournament.

 

The whole team is playing as a unit, but Aleks Nikolov is just on another level.  This year he has really grown and i really believe in another year or two he is going to be the next generations Kaziyski and Leon a.k.a the best player in the world!

 

As for the game against Czechia, i hope they won't be emotionally spent after today and won't underestimate the Czechs, since we are going in as the favorites.