copravolley

We only matter in volleyball: our football team is a joke, our last medal in basketball was in 2004 etc. Losing to Belgium is a scandal for me and there's no other way to write about it. It's just like Canada losing to Poland in ice hockey... One great women's volleyball team isn't enough for our country to handle all the other team sports, which are weak here (men's volleyball team shocked me today). Most Italian coaches work with other men's and women's NTs, but we get nothing out of it; quite the opposite. This is what pisses me off the most, as are the many junior medals that then mean nothing in the seniors.

Ghiotto isn't a phenomenon. He made good useed of the time when Nils van der Poel retired and started winning the 10k. However, with the young Czech's explosive form, he will have no chance of winning gold (not the same level of talent, unfortunately). The same goes for Lollobrigida and Giovannini. Fontana is 35 and, in my opinion, it will be difficule for her (maybe some bronze with relay event, but nithing more). Sighel? You're right, but this sport is a lottery and the competition is strong: he could easily win or be eliminated in the quarter after a stupid DQ. We will see.

We have no chance in a potential Round of 16 macth againstFrance: France are old and experience team (they would played poorly at the start of competition many times, but then rose to a high level later and won medals) and will easily beat us. To beat France now, Italy must be at 100% form, like in 2022. Otherwise, it will be a quick 0-3. Given our current form, I have concerns about the match against Ukraine on Thursday: they will certainly play without pressure, we must to win and we don't have the advantage over our opponents like our girls, who, even without playing at 100%, can to win matches. As of today, I see it as a 50/50 tie with Ukraine and then whoever wins: 0-3 against France in 1/8. Either way, this World Champ. will be a heavy lost for us and I hope de Giorgi will go away after this season.

In my opinion, de Giorgi was getting ready the top form for the VNL, just as Lavarini was for the Polish NT women in this season. He knew that against France would probably lose in the quarterfinals. However, failing to advance from the group or even being eliminated in the round of 16 would be a disaster for us. Lavarini, at least with the Polish women, never drops below a certain level. What more can be said about Italy's NT overall? De Giorgi's time is over. This reminds me of Berrutto's end for us 10 years ago, but 1 season later Juantorena joined for u, and we returned to the top in 2015/2016. Now, with such players at OPP position, it's going to be tough, so either they naturalize Keita (the only sensible option, as Rychlicki is a second Romano) or we have to hope on Bovolenta's rapid development. There's definitely no sense in signing players like Rychlicki; it's better to play Bovolenta, who is young and has the potential to develop in the future.

Italy has one good team in team sports: the women's NT in volley, which miraculously won gold this year. The rest are bad. If volleyball man will eliminated in the group here, it will be the wrost results for us in 40-50 years?

Bovolenta hasn't played for the club because Romano has been playing in Piacenza and he's average. Reggers and Nikolov are starting players, and that's the problem. Michieletto has also been playing poorly for the national team for several years.

The only positive from this is that Fefe will leave after a defeat to Ukraine or in the Round of 16. This team last played a good match two years ago in a important match.

Defeats against Belgium, Ukraine etc., are unacceptable: you can lose against Poland or France, but not more.

We'll see. I don't see us win more than two gold medals. We don't have any dominant people and our biggest stars are old: Fontana, Wierer, Goggia, Fede.

Bovolenta was at Reggers' level at 2-3 years ago and where are they now? Michieletto isn't playing like a leader in this squad either. He was supposed to be the best volleyball player in Europe for years, but the younger Reggers crushed him today. And you can't blame Lavia's injury on everything, because he hasn't been in good form for two years.

Ghiotto could win everything in the 10km race from 2023 to 2025, and he probably won't win gold at home in Cortina. And if he doesn't win gold, I doubt we'll win anything. I doubt Brignone will return; who's left? Goggia? Unless he gets another injured. I feel very few gold medals for us at home, even in 2022, he already won only two.

Okay, but considering how many junior medals we've won over the years, we've looked terrible. Not making it to the last 16 in such a niche sport, where Russia isn't even there yet, is a disgrace. Michieletti looks like a loser next to Reggers, even though we crushed Belgium in the juniors with Reggers in the squad. I don't know if just sacking de Giorgi will solve everything.

So, on Thursday, we're facing Ukraine to avoid an epochal disaster. We have to win. Otherwise, it will be our worst performance in over 30 years. Either way, this is the worst Italy in over 10 years.

It`s was probably the worse Italy for 2014 World Champ, when we took 13th/14th place.

Italy is complete out of form here. Their peak form was clearly in the VNL, where we lost 3-0 to a not a strongest Poland in the final. However, losing 3-0 to Belgium is unacceptable. As of now, I don't see that we getting out of the group. In the 21st century, we've never finished outside the top 16. But perhaps it's better to suffer such a disgrace and finally get kick of de Giorgi than to remain in this stagnation. It was the same two years ago with Mazzanti. Italy won't achieve anything significant under de Giorgi. Whether we lose 0-3 or 2-3 today doesn't matter, because the match against Ukraine will be a decider anyway. And I don't see us winning 3-2 today from 0-2.

We haven't been winning Junior World Championship medals for 10 years just to lose to Belgium with just one Reggers. Let's respect each other.

If we lose today, it'll be a do-or-die match against Ukraine. I don't see that happening right now.

Italy will probably not advance to 1/8.

First medal for Ukraine?

But final, it`s final- another point places.

I hope that Simonelli could win medal there...

In the final, anyone can win, even Simonelli could.

Bad day for us.

2 first out of form, right?

Italian without form in 800.