Italian
Fefè De Giorgi’s Azzurri defeat Bulgaria 3-1 (25-21, 25-17, 17-25, 25-10) and become World Champions for the second consecutive time
MANILA (PHILIPPINES) – Let’s start from the end. From Simone Anzani’s powerful spike that sealed the 25-10 point for the 3-1 victory over Bulgaria. From his tears of joy and his effort to console the opponent and lift his spirits. From his interview in which he recounts being rewarded for everything: two difficult years with heart problems, the ablation procedure, the fear that his career was over, missing the Olympics—his last major goal—and then winning, at the age of 33.
Let’s start with the tears of Captain Simone Giannelli, the orchestra conductor of this team. He went on stage to receive the trophy wearing the jersey of the unlucky Daniele Lavia, Italy’s irreplaceable starter who suffered a severe finger injury just days before the World Championship. The entire team dedicated the victory to him, moving even the injured opposite hitter watching in the Rai studios.
Then there were the aces from Romanò (22 points) and Bottolo (19), the latter called upon to replace the Trento opposite hitter. The rookies Sani and Porro quickly integrated with the team and were often decisive in the closing moments of sets. And finally, the prodigy Alessandro Michieletto, a second-generation player whose family legend starts in Chirignago, a small district of Venice. He was the tournament’s Best Spiker and MVP at just 22 years old.
And then the historic record-holder: Ferdinando “Fefè” De Giorgi. The only man to win five World Championships—three as a player with the “Generation of Phenomena” under Velasco (1990, 1994, 1998) and two consecutive as Italy’s head coach. In between, he won everything possible. On his bench were two other former world champions: Marco Meoni (Padua, 1998) and Giacomo Giretto (1994). Italy now ranks second in total World Championship wins, behind only the Soviet Union with six.
Consider that Italian volleyball is now at the top of the world in both men’s and women’s competitions—an achievement only matched by the Soviets in 1952 and 1960. A double victory was also achieved at the European level in 2021. Both teams will now be received by President Sergio Mattarella on Wednesday, October 8, at 4 PM.
Mix all of this together with heart, friendship, courage, and a great leader, plus excellent work by the Federation at the youth level, and this is the result.
ItalVolley is World Champion for the second consecutive time.
Interviews
Giuseppe Manfredi, President of Federvolley:
“This is a day that rightfully enters the legend of Italian sport and world volleyball. Following the success of our women’s national team, the victory in the men’s World Championship completes a historic double: for the first time in history, Italian volleyball wins both world titles in the same year. My heartfelt congratulations go to these extraordinary young men, Coach De Giorgi, and the entire staff. Together, they faced every challenge with character, talent, and a spirit of sacrifice. They have shown that daily effort, passion, and dedication to the Azzurri jersey can lead to results that once seemed unreachable. I want to remind everyone that this victory is the result of a movement that spans the entire country: from grassroots clubs to top-level clubs, from managers to coaches, and to volunteers who grow Italian volleyball every day. Today’s extraordinary achievement confirms that planning, dedication, and the work of an entire system can turn dreams into reality. Today’s World Championship triumph, three years after the title in Poland, demonstrates once again how special and unique this group is. There is no doubt that this team is marking an era in volleyball and Italian sport.”
Head Coach Ferdinando De Giorgi:
“I’m tired, of course, but how can you be tired of winning? Behind this victory is an enormous amount of work, not only mine but of everyone who lived through a long summer this year. There were many things we needed to improve. The staff did an incredible job recovering key players like Russo, Gargiulo with his ankle, and then Daniele’s injury. Many challenges occurred that only a truly special group could absorb and turn into positive energy, as happened in this World Championship. I am extremely proud and happy, especially for the Federation, which now enters legend—not just history, but legend. Being alongside Julio in this achievement makes me really happy. I’m proud of the work we are doing because it is fundamental for our entire movement. National teams bring visibility thanks to results, and it’s not only about winning, although victory certainly helps. It’s about how you win: the way the players fought and played. Transmitting emotions, in my opinion, is the most important medal to win. Our goal, as with any team or athlete, is to remain in excellence. This means always competing for medals, in every competition. I believe we are on the right track because we often come ready to compete for medals.”
Captain Simone Giannelli:
“Three years later, another world gold. I think we’ve truly made history for our country, considering we are currently world champions in both men’s and women’s volleyball. This makes me even prouder, especially having seen the women’s achievements, which gave me even more strength. I’m really happy that we also did our part, bringing our energy and talent to the court, both the good and the bad moments, and we managed them. Winning two World Championships in a row is something I could never have imagined as a child. I am deeply grateful for this opportunity, for myself and my team, and also grateful for health, which we often take for granted but is never guaranteed. A huge thank you to everyone who supported us, even those who didn’t after losses. I’m learning that everyone has their own point of view, and it’s important to stay inquisitive, not just provide answers. Sport belongs to everyone: everyone has the right to their opinion. But we know who we are and what we’ve done. We’re happy to have shown ourselves what we can do. We want to continue to improve and not dwell on the past. We want to perform well for our country, our nation, our movement. We know how many young players dream of reaching where we are today. Every year, new ones join. When I played in the Olympic final, some of today’s players were just kids. It’s an honor to play with them. Even though I’m only 29, still young, being on the court with younger, enthusiastic players gives me an extra push. It gives me energy and motivation; you’re forced to always give more. I’m really happy we experienced all this together, this way.”
Opposite Mattia Bottolo, author of a sensational fourth-set finish:
“These are incredible emotions, of every kind. They’re different from the first time, because confirming a victory is even harder than achieving it for the first time. But we did it, and it’s something special. I contributed, like all my teammates, especially with that series of aces that really pumped me up. The crowd pushed me so much; they helped. I know my value; I knew I could deliver a performance like that, the team needed something extra. In the fourth set, I decided to take more risks. I thought, ‘Now I’ll try,’ and the risks paid off. In this World Championship, the hardest challenge was being aware that you can lose to anyone and never let your guard down. This World Championship proved that. That’s why it’s crucial to take it one match at a time. If you focus too much on who you might face later, you lose sight of the present. 2024 was already a special year for me, but 2025 is even more so. My approach is always as an athlete: day by day, match by match. Now I want to focus on the present and enjoy this World Championship; then back to the gym to keep working.”
MVP Alessandro Michieletto:
“What we did today is incredible. We are reliving the emotions of three years ago, maybe even stronger, because confirming is always extremely difficult. We played a good tournament, and while we didn’t start perfectly, we improved steadily. We always supported each other, and this capacity belongs only to great teams. This World Championship has a very special flavor, because it confirms that this team is always present and reaches the top four every year. This summer, in particular, we achieved great satisfaction with two impressive medals. Today, Romanò and Bottolo’s serves were decisive; without them, we might still be playing (laughs). That might be our secret: we complement each other, we know how to stay together; we’re a perfect machine. From the Round of 16 onwards, we raised our level exponentially, and I really think we are the strongest team in the world. This World Championship is certainly dedicated to Daniele Lavia, who wanted and should have been here; I know how disappointed he is. Today, after the technical meeting before the match, he called us via video. I can tell you he barely held back his tears. His message gave us incredible energy, and I can’t wait to hug him.”
Opposite Yuri Romanò:
“It’s incredible, really incredible what we did. Doing it again, in such a tough World Championship, is extraordinary. We saw many great teams fall early, while we won as a strong group, bringing quality, mindset, and heart to the court. It was truly a great achievement. I contributed with a great series of aces; has that ever happened to me? Maybe not, not all in a row. I felt good, and fortunately, I didn’t overthink it—I just served. That series helped us win the second set and shift the match. They came back well in the third set, but in the fourth, we started with the right mindset: we pushed hard, and our opponents had no chance. The secret of this team? We’ve been saying it for years, and we proved it once again: it’s the group. Despite all the difficulties in preparation, injuries—especially Daniele’s serious one—we stayed united throughout the World Championship. We believed until the end, and we achieved this wonderful gold.”
Middle Blocker Simone Anzani:
“Repeating is never easy, especially when you don’t expect it. Like in 2022, we spent all summer chasing a team, Poland, that always put us under pressure and beat us in the VNL final. But then we worked hard and achieved this goal today in the final against Bulgaria, which is incredible. At the start, in the group stage, we played rather poorly and then suddenly changed gears. This is the uniqueness of this team: together we found the energy, cohesion, and calm that allowed us to play exceptional volleyball in subsequent matches. I dedicate this victory above all to my family: my wife, my daughters, my parents, my sister, my uncles, and friends who have supported me through these two years. They have supported and tolerated me, because it hasn’t been easy, and I must thank them. Without them, perhaps I wouldn’t have had the strength to react, which brought me here today.”
Match Score
ITALY-BULGARIA 3-1 (25-21, 25-17, 17-25, 25-10)
ITALY: Anzani 9, Giannelli 4, Michieletto 11, Russo 4, Romanò 22, Bottolo 19, Balaso (L). Sani, Porro, Sbertoli. N.e: Rychlicki, Gargiulo, Galassi, Pace (L). Coach: De Giorgi
BULGARIA: Petkov 4, Asparuhov 5, A. Nikolov 23, Grozdanov 4, S. Nikolov, Atanasov 11, Kolev (L). Tatarov, Antov 4, Dobrev (L), Petkov P. N.e: Nachev, Zhelev, Palev. Coach: Blengini
Referees: Simonovic (SUI) and Mokry (SVK)
Set duration: 29′, 25′, 22′, 20′
Spectators: 16,429
Italy: 13 aces, 18 blocks, 10 mistakes, 22 errors
Bulgaria: 4 aces, 12 blocks, 4 mistakes, 23 errors
2025 Men’s World Championship – Dream Team
Aleksandar Nikolov (Spiker, Bulgaria)
Aleks Grozdanov (Middle, Bulgaria)
Jakub Kochanowski (Middle, Poland)
Fabio Balaso (Libero)
Simone Giannelli (Setter)
Yuri Romanò (Opposite)
Alessandro Michieletto (MVP and Spiker)
Gold Medal Men’s National Team Roster
Setters: 6. Simone Giannelli (captain), 8. Riccardo Sbertoli
Middles: 14. Gianluca Galassi, 17. Simone Anzani, 25. Giovanni Gargiulo, 19. Roberto Russo
Spikers: 12. Mattia Bottolo, 5. Alessandro Michieletto, 31. Luca Porro, 9. Francesco Sani
Opposites: 11. Kamil Rychlicki, 16. Yuri Romanò
Liberos: 7. Fabio Balaso, 28. Domenico Pace
Staff:
Ferdinando De Giorgi – Head Coach
Massimo Caponeri – Assistant Coach
Marco Meoni – Assistant Coach
Nicola Giolito – Strength & Conditioning
Marco Penza – Doctor
Francesco Alfatti – Physiotherapist
Fabio Rossin – Physiotherapist
Ivan Contrario – Scout
Giacomo Giretto – Team Manager
Photo Credits: Federvolley.it
