After 24 years, Italy is once again world champion in men's volleyball. In the final, in Katowice, the Azzurri coached by Ferdinando De Giorgi beat the outgoing world champions Poland 3-1.
Volleyball World Champions
And as in 1998 Ferdinando De Giorgi is there: then he was a player, today he is the coach of the team that dominated the world championship from the first to the last meeting. A team bent in the final in Katowice, the hosts of Poland, who were chasing the third world title in a row. Italy wins in comeback. After losing the first set, De Giorgi's boys took the field and dominated the match. In the end it is 3-1 for the Azzurri (22-25, 25-21, 25-18, 25-2). After the European gold one year ago, De Giorgi's boys complete the feat in Poland and conquer the fourth world championship in the history of Italvolley.
Upon returning to Italy, the national team will be received by President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella. At the Spodek Arena in Katowice, in front of over 10 thousand Polish fans, the Azzurri challenge Poland who has just won two consecutive world championships, both in the final against Brazil. The Azzurri triumphed after overtaking France gold medal at the last Olympics. In the pit of Katowice a year ago the Italy of Fefè De Giorgi became European champion. For the challenge that is worth the world title De Giorgi confirms the team that yesterday beat Slovenia with captain Simone Giannelli and Yuri Romanò in diagonal setter-opposite; spikers Alessandro Michieletto and Daniele Lavia, Gianluca Galassi and Simone Anzani in the center, Fabio Balaso the free.
A heart-pounding final
The first set goes on point by point, then Italy manages to carry on until 21-17 then an inexplicable blackout by the Azzurri allows Poland to score a partial 8-1 and win the first fraction 25-22. The second set begins uphill for the Azzurri but the reaction of the sextet coached by De Giorgi is not long in coming: Italy finds play and consistency in the service by recovering a disadvantage of -4 and equalizing the scores of the sets (25-21). The third set is all of the blue brand that makes fewer and fewer mistakes and puts Poland, two world champion in serious difficulty.
The blues dominate in all fundamentals against the reigning world champions. Italy is in full control and even the fourth set sees the domination of the blues who write a new page in the history of sports Italian. The Azzurri arrived at this challenge having won all the matches played so far. First the three of the elimination round (all with the result of 3-0) against Canada, Turkey and China, then the round of 3 against Cuba for 1-3, the quarter-finals against the Olympic champions of France for 2-3 and the semifinal against Slovenia 0-3. Brazil completes the world podium, beating Slovenia 1-2002 in the final. For the verdeoro this is the sixth consecutive edition on the podium after the victories in 2006, 2010 and 2014, and the second place in 2018 and XNUMX.
(Photo Facebook Coni)
