Italy men's national volleyball team explained

Italy
Nickname:	Gli Azzurri (The Blues)
Federation:	Federazione Italiana Pallavolo
Website:	federvolley.it
Confederation:	CEV
Coach:	Ferdinando De Giorgi
Olympic Apps:	13
Olympic First:	1976
Olympic Best:	(1996, 2004, 2016)
World Champs Apps:	19
World Champs First:	1949
World Champs Best:	(1990, 1994, 1998, 2022)
World Cup Apps:	8
World Cup First:	1989
World Cup Best:	(1995)
Regional Name:	European Championship
Regional Cup Apps:	29
Regional Cup First:	1948
Regional Cup Best:	(1989, 1993, 1995, 1999, 2003, 2005, 2021)
Pattern B1:	_italy1982-90
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Pattern B2:	_Ita08a
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The Italy men's national volleyball team represents the country in international competitions and friendly matches. The national team is controlled by the Italian Volleyball Federation, the governing body for Volleyball in Italy. It is one of the most successful national teams in the history of volleyball, having won four World Championships (1990, 1994, 1998 and 2022), seven European Championships, one World Cup (1995) and eight World League (1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1999 and 2000). Italy is the reigning World champion, having won 2022 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship.

Result history

In 1989, Julio Velasco was hired to coach the Italian National Men's Team. He immediately led them to a gold medal at the European Championships in 1989, which his team won twice more in 1993 and 1995. The team also won a silver medal at the World Cup in 1989.He de-emphasized the specialization trend of the 1980s. He emphasized the concept of the “square”, team unity where the team was better than the sum of its players. He was meticulous, well prepared and very demanding, but he knew how to win.Starting at the 1990 World Championships and the 1990 Goodwill Games, the Italian National team swept the world volleyball events for five years. They won a gold medal in the World Championships in 1990 and 1994, the World League in 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994 and 1995, the 1991 Mediterranean Games, and the 1993 Grand Champions Cup. They won a silver medal at the 1996 Olympic Games. Julio Velasco left the Italian National Men's Team in 1996. Velasco in 1989-1996 created Golden Team with Players such as Zorzi, Andrea Gardini, Giani, Bernardi, Gravina, Bracci, Tofoli, Lucchetta, Papi, Pasinato and Meoni.^[1]

Olympic Games

Champions Runners up Third place Fourth place

Olympic Games record
Year	Round	Position	width=30		width=30		width=30		width=30	width=30	Squad
1964	Did not qualify
1968
1972
1976	1st round	8th	5	0	5	2	15
1980	1st round	9th	5	2	3	5	11
1984	Semifinals	Bronze	6	4	2	14	7
1988	1st round	9th	7	4	3	13	13
1992	Quarterfinals	5th	7	5	2	18	8
1996	Final	Silver	8	7	1	23	5
2000	Semifinals	Bronze	8	7	1	21	8
2004	Final	Silver	8	5	3	20	11
2008	Semifinals	4th	8	5	3	17	14
2012	Semifinals	Bronze	8	5	3	16	13
2016	Final	Silver	8	6	2	19	10
2020	Quarterfinals	6th	6	4	2	14	10
2024	Semifinals	4th	6	4	2	12	10
2028	Future events
2032
Total	0 titles	13/16	90	58	32	194	135	—

World Championship

Champions Runners up Third place Fourth place

World Championship record
Year	Round	Position	width=30		width=30		width=30		width=30	width=30	Squad
1949	1st round	8th	5	2	3	8	9
1952	Did not qualify
1956	1st round	14th	10	6	4	22	14
1960	Did not qualify
1962	1st round	14th	11	5	6	19	23
1966	1st round	16th	11	2	9	9	31
1970	1st round	15th	11	3	8	23	28
1974	1st round	19th	11	7	4	24	14
1978	Final	2nd	10	8	2	24	12
1982	1st round	14th	10	8	2	24	12
1986	2nd round	11th	8	3	5	14	18
1990	Final	1st	7	6	1	18	7
1994	Final	1st	7	6	1	20	6
1998	Final	1st	12	11	1	33	7
2002	Quarterfinals	5th	9	6	3	23	14
2006	2nd round	5th	11	8	3	28	13
2010	Semifinals	4th	10	8	2	26	12
2014	2nd round	13th	9	3	6	14	22
2018	3rd round	5th	10	8	2	26	11
2022	Final	1st	7	7	0	21	4
2025	Qualified
Total	4 titles	19/21	169	107	62	376	257	—

1990 — Gold medal

Anastasi, Bernardi, Bracci, Cantagalli, De Giorgi, Gardini, Giani, Lucchetta, Martinelli, Masciarelli, Tofoli, Zorzi. Head Coach: Velasco

1994 — Gold medal

Bernardi, Bracci, Cantagalli, Gardini, Giani, De Giorgi, Giretto, Gravina, Papi, Pippi, Tofoli, Zorzi. Head Coach: Velasco

1998 — Gold medal

Bracci, Corsano, Fei, Gardini, Giani, De Giorgi, Gravina, Meoni, Papi, Pasinato, Rosalba, Sartoretti. Head Coach: Bebeto

/ 2022 — Gold medal

Anzani, Balaso, Bottolo, Galassi, Giannelli, Lavia, Michieletto, Mosca, Pinali, Recine, Romanò, Russo, Sbertoli, Scanferla. Head Coach: De Giorgi

World Cup

Champions Runners up Third place Fourth place

World Cup record
Year	Round	Position	width=30		width=30		width=30		width=30	width=30	Squad
1965	Did not qualify
1969
1977
1981	-	7th	7	1	6	9	18	Squad
1985	Did not qualify
1989	-	2nd	7	6	1	20	5	Squad
1991	Did not qualify
1995	-	1st	11	11	0	33	3	Squad
1999	-	3rd	11	8	3	26	14	Squad
2003	-	2nd	11	9	2	29	8	Squad
2007	Did not qualify
2011	-	4th	11	8	3	28	15	Squad
2015	-	2nd	11	10	1	30	8	Squad
2019	-	7th	11	5	6	14	19	Squad
2023	Did not qualify
Total	1 title	8/14	80	58	22	189	90	-

1995 — Gold medal

World Grand Champions Cup

Champions Runners up Third place Fourth place

World Grand Champions Cup record (Defunct)
Year	Round	Position	width=30		width=30		width=30		width=30	width=30	Squad
1993	-	1st	5	5	0	15	4	Squad
1997	Did not qualify
2001
2005	-	3rd	5	3	2	11	6	Squad
2009	Did not qualify
2013	-	3rd	5	2	3	12	10	Squad
2017	-	2nd	5	4	1	14	8	Squad
Total	1 title	4/7	20	14	6	52	28	-

1993 — Gold medal

Bracci, Galli, Gardini, Giani, Gravina, Zorzi, Cantagalli, Bellini, Pippi, Pasinato, Bernardi. Head Coach: Velasco

World League

Champions Runners up Third place Fourth place

World League record (Defunct)
Year	Round	Position	width=30		width=30		width=30		width=30	width=30	Squad
1990	Final	1st	14	11	3	37	21	Squad
1991	Final	1st	18	16	2	52	16	Squad
1992	Final	1st	18	16	2	50	17	Squad
1993	Semifinals	3rd	22	20	2	62	17	Squad
1994	Final	1st	16	12	4	38	19	Squad
1995	Final	1st	17	14	3	45	19	Squad
1996	Final	2nd	17	14	3	45	19	Squad
1997	Final	1st	17	14	3	47	17	Squad
1998	Final Round	4th	15	7	8	27	26	Squad
1999	Final	1st	16	12	4	42	20	Squad
2000	Final	1st	18	13	5	44	33	Squad
2001	Final	2nd	17	12	5	41	24	Squad
2002	Semifinals	4th	17	14	3	44	19	Squad
2003	Semifinals	3rd	17	10	7	37	27	Squad
2004	Final	2nd	15	9	6	34	22	Squad
2005	1st round	7th	12	6	6	22	26	Squad
2006	2nd round	6th	16	7	9	32	31	Squad
2007	1st round	9th	12	4	8	19	30	Squad
2008	1st round	7th	12	8	4	30	22	Squad
2009	1st round	7th	12	8	4	27	17	Squad
2010	2nd round	6th	14	9	5	35	21	Squad
2011	2nd round	6th	15	11	4	35	18	Squad
2012	1st round	11th	12	5	7	23	28	Squad
2013	Semifinals	3rd	14	10	4	35	23	Squad
2014	Semifinals	3rd	16	9	7	33	25	Squad
2015	2nd round	5th	14	7	7	26	31	Squad
2016	Semifinals	4th	13	7	6	25	20	Squad
2017	1st round	12th	9	2	7	13	23	Squad
Total	8 titles	28/28	425	287	138	1000	631	-

1990 Osaka — Gold medal

Gardini, Margutti, De Giorgi, Tofoli, Masciarelli, Anastasi, Bracci, Bernardi, Cantagalli, Zorzi, Lucchetta, Giazzoli, Pasinato, Petrelli, Martinelli, Loro, Gallia. Head coach: Velasco

1991 Milan — Gold medal

Gardini, Martinelli, Margutti, De Giorgi, Tofoli, Masciarelli, Anastasi, Bracci, Bernardi, Cantagalli, Zorzi, Lucchetta, Giazzoli, Pasinato, Petrelli, Lombardi, Gallia, Galli, Gravina. Head coach: Velasco

1992 Genoa — Gold medal

Gardini, Martinelli, Margutti, De Giorgi, Tofoli, Masciarelli, Galli, Bracci, Bernardi, Cantagalli, Zorzi, Lucchetta, Giani, Giazzoli, Pasinato. Head coach: Velasco

1994 Milan — Gold medal

Gardini, Martinelli, Gravina, De Giorgi, Tofoli, Papi, Sartoretti, Bracci, Bernardi, Cantagalli, Margutti, Pippi, Giani, Bellini, Pasinato, Rinaldi, Fangareggi, Giretto. Head coach: Velasco

1995 Rio de Janeiro — Gold medal

Fangareggi, Rosalba, Gravina, De Giorgi, Botti, Papi, Sartoretti, Verniaghi, Giazzoli, Bonati, Radicioni, Pippi, Giani, Bellini, Pasinato, Bovolenta, Meoni, Giretto. Head coach: Velasco

1997 Moscow — Gold medal

Gardini, Meoni, Gravina, Bendani, Fangareggi, Papi, Giombini, Sartoretti, Casoli, Rosalba, Zlatanov, Pippi, Giani, Bovolenta, Bonati, Patriarca, Bellini. Head coach: de Freitas

1999 Mar del Plata — Gold medal

Vermiglio, Meoni, Mastrangelo, Fei, Papi, Sartoretti, Casoli, Rosalba, Zlatanov, Corsano, Bellini, Bovolenta, Giombini, Molteni. Head coach: Anastasi

2000 Rotterdam — Gold medal

Gardini, Meoni, Gravina, Mastrangelo, Tofoli, Papi, Sartoretti, Bracci, Bernardi, Rosalba, Molteni, Corsano, Giani, Fei, Castellano, Bovolenta, Giombini, Vermiglio. Head coach: Anastasi

Nations League

Champions Runners up Third place Fourth place

Nations League record
Year	Round	Position	width=30		width=30		width=30		width=30	width=30	Squad
2018	Preliminary Round	8th	15	8	7	30	28	Squad
2019	Preliminary Round	8th	15	8	7	31	25	Squad
2020	Not held due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2021	Preliminary Round	10th	15	7	8	28	33	Squad
2022	Final Round	4th	15	11	4	35	16	Squad
2023	Semifinals	4th	15	10	5	33	17
2024	Quarterfinals	5th	13	9	4	31	17
Total	0 title(s)	6/6						–

European Championship

Champions Runners up Third place Fourth place

European Championship record
Year	Round	Position	width=30		width=30		width=30		width=30	width=30	Squad
1948	-	3rd	5	3	2	11	6	Squad
1950	Did not qualify
1951	1st round	8th	5	2	3	8	9	Squad
1955	1st round	9th	7	5	2	15	8	Squad
1958	1st round	10th	11	8	3	26	19	Squad
1963	1st round	10th	11	8	3	24	15	Squad
1967	Final Round	8th	10	3	7	11	25	Squad
1971	1st round	8th	8	6	2	21	10	Squad
1975	1st round	10th	7	2	5	8	17	Squad
1977	1st round	8th	7	3	4	12	16	Squad
1979	Final Round	5th	7	3	4	13	14	Squad
1981	1st round	7th	7	5	2	15	9	Squad
1983	Final Round	4th	7	4	3	16	16	Squad
1985	Final Round	6th	7	1	6	10	18	Squad
1987	1st round	9th	7	3	4	14	14	Squad
1989	Final	1st	7	6	1	20	7	Squad
1991	Final	2nd	7	6	1	18	7	Squad
1993	Final	1st	7	7	0	21	5	Squad
1995	Final	1st	7	6	1	19	6	Squad
1997	Semifinals	3rd	7	5	2	15	8	Squad
1999	Final	1st	5	4	1	13	5	Squad
2001	Final	2nd	7	4	3	14	10	Squad
2003	Final	1st	7	7	0	21	4	Squad
2005	Final	1st	7	6	1	19	8	Squad
2007	2nd round	6th	6	4	2	14	11	Squad
2009	2nd round	10th	6	2	4	8	12	Squad
2011	Final	2nd	6	4	2	15	8	Squad
2013	Final	2nd	6	4	2	15	9	Squad
2015	Semifinals	3rd	7	5	2	18	7	Squad
2017	Quarterfinals	5th	5	3	2	11	6	Squad
2019	Quarterfinals	6th	7	5	2	16	9	Squad
2021	Final	1st	9	9	0	27	5	Squad
2023	Final	2nd	9	8	1	24	7	Squad
Total	7 titles	31/32	228	151	77	430	330	-

1989 — Gold medal

Anastasi, Bernardi, Bracci, Cantagalli, De Giorgi, Gardini, Lucchetta, Margutti, Masciarelli, Passani, Tofoli, Zorzi. Head Coach: Velasco

1993 — Gold medal

Bellini, Bracci, Cantagalli, Galli, Gardini, Giani, Gravina, Martinelli, Pasinato, Pippi, Tofoli, Zorzi. Head Coach: Velasco

1995 — Gold medal

Bernardi, Bovolenta, Bracci, Cantagalli, Gardini, Giani, Gravina, Meoni, Papi, Pasinato, Tofoli, Andrea Zorzi. Head Coach: Velasco

1999 — Gold medal

Bracci, Corsano, Gardini, Giani, Giombini, Gravina, Meoni, Mastrangelo, Papi, Rosalba, Sartoretti, Tofoli. Head Coach: Anastasi

2003 — Gold medal

Biribanti, Černič, Cozzi, Fei, Giani, Mastrangelo, Meoni, Papi, Pippi, Sartoretti, Savani, Vermiglio. Head Coach: Montali

2005 — Gold medal

Černič, Cisolla, Corsano, Cozzi, Fei, Łasko, Mastrangelo, Paparoni, Savani, Sintini, Tencati, Vermiglio. Head Coach: Montali

2021 — Gold medal

Anzani, Balaso, Bottolo, Cortesia, Galassi, Giannelli, Lavia, Michieletto, Piccinelli, Pinali, Ricci, Recine, Romanò, Sbertoli. Head Coach: De Giorgi

European Games

Champions Runners up Third place Fourth place

European Games record
Year	Round	Position	width=30		width=30		width=30		width=30	width=30	Squad
2015 Baku	1st round	11th	5	0	5	4	15	Squad
2019 Minsk	Volleyball not held
2023 Kraków	Volleyball not held
Total	0 titles	1/1	5	0	5	4	15	-

Mediterranean Games

1959 — gold medal
1963 — silver medal
1975 — silver medal
1979 — Fourth place
1983 — gold medal
1987 — bronze medal
1991 — gold medal
1997 — Fourth place
2001 — gold medal
2005 — Fifth place
2009 — gold medal
2013 — gold medal
2018 — gold medal
2022 — bronze medal
2026 — Future event

Goodwill Games

Champions Runners up Third place Fourth place

Goodwill Games record
Year	Round	Position	width=30		width=30		width=30	width=30	width=30
1986	Did not participate
	Final	Champions	5	4	1	14	6
Total	1 titles	1/2	5	4	1	14	6

1990 — Gold medal

Team

Current roster

Roster for the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Coach history

Pietro Bernardi (1947)
Angelo Costa (1947-1949)
Renzo Del Chicca (1949-1953)
Ivan Trinajstic (1953-1966)
Josef Kozak (1966-1969)
Odone Federzoni (1969-1974)
Odone Federzoni & Josef Kozak (1970)
Franco Anderlini (1974-1976)
Adriano Pavlica (1976-1977)
Edward Skorek (1978 ad interim)
Carmelo Pittera (1978-1982 + 1988)
Nino Cuco (1981 ad interim)
Silvano Prandi (1983-1986)
Aleksander Skiba (1987)
Michelangelo Lo Bianco (1988 ad interim)
Julio Velasco (1988-1996)
Angelo Frigoni (1990-1991 ad interim - World League)
Daniele Bagnoli (1992 ad interim - World League)
Paulo Roberto de Freitas (1996-1998)
Andrea Anastasi (1998-2002)
Kim Ho-Chul (2001)
Gian Paolo Montali (2002-2007)
Andrea Anastasi (2007-2010)
Mauro Berruto (2010-2015)
Gianlorenzo Blengini (2015-2021)
Antonio Valentini (2021 - Volley Nations League)
Ferdinando De Giorgi (2021-)

Record attendance

Table updated to August 12, 2012.

	Player	Appearances
1	Andrea Giani	474
2	Andrea Gardini	418
3	Luigi Mastrangelo	363
4	Samuele Papi	361
5	Marco Bracci	347
6	Paolo Tofoli	342
7	Luca Cantagalli	330
8	Ferdinando De Giorgi	330
9	Andrea Sartoretti	330
10	Andrea Zorzi	325

Kit providers

The table below shows the history of kit providers for the Italy national volleyball team.

Period	Kit provider
2000–2008	Nike Asics
2008–2021	Asics Armani Errea

Sponsorship

Primary sponsors include: main sponsors like DHL, Kinder (Ferrero SpA), Honda and Mizuno, other sponsors: Santal, Diadora, EthicSport, Reaxing, Crai, Nutrilite, Uliveto and Winform.

Media

Italy's matches and friendlies are currently televised by RAI and Rai Sport.

External links

- FIVB profile

Notes and References

http://www.volleyhall.org/julio-velasco.html Italy in Hall of Fame