Giovanni Galeone told Messaggero Veneto about his protégé Massimiliano Allegri: “I think he waited until the last for a call from Inter Milan. He had an agreement with Napoli, before Conte decided to stay”.

“Strange that Marotta, who had had Allegri at Juve, did not take him. With all due respect to Chivu a club that has played two Champions finals in the last three seasons cannot take a technician with 13 appearances in Serie A”.

“I hope he does better this time and can win the Scudetto at the first attempt as in his previous adventure in the Rossoneri. And it is not certain that he will not succeed. I heard him very happy and charged. And in my opinion Tare is building him a good team”.

Closing on Spalletti&#8217s exoneration: “He is the least guilty of all. It is the organization of the system that does not work. There are no longer youth sectors, there is a lack of soccer teachers, we immediately focus everything on tactics. We have sold out our soccer and we are paying the consequences. I would have taken Mancini. It is true that he left badly, but he was the only Italian coach who was ready. Or if the focus had been on a foreigner, I would have taken Rafa Benitez, a deep connoisseur of soccer and players. The top would have been Ancelotti, but he had already settled with Brazil“.

Everything is ready for week 2 of the Women’s Volleyball Nations League. Tomorrow, Sunday, June 15, Italy of CT Julio Velasco will fly to Hong-Kong where from June 18 to 22, in the new and futuristic Kai Tak Arena, the VNL Pool 5 is scheduled with Italy, China, Japan, Bulgaria, Thailand and the Czech Republic. Recovering from the poker of successes in Rio de Janeiro, the Azzurri, second in the overall standings behind Japan, will try to get closer to their Finals goal by putting important new victories in the pipeline.

Italy’s debut in China is set for Wednesday, June 18 when, at 7:30 a.m. Italian time, the Azzurri will face Bulgaria. On June 19, on the other hand, at 11:30 a.m. Italian time, it will be the turn of Italy-Thailand, while on June 20 at 2:30 p.m. Italian time, the remake of the VNL 2024 Italy-Japan final will be staged. Finally, after a one-day break, captain Danesi and her teammates will take on hosts China at 2 p.m. Italian time. Compared to the Rio de Janeiro Pool, and as part of a previously established season schedule, CT Julio Velasco has opted for a few changes in the list of the 14 who will leave for Hong-Kong. Specifically, the athletes Ekaterina Antropova, Myriam Sylla and Alessia Orro will remain working at Centro Pavesi with the National B team. Below is the complete list of the 14 Azzure women’s team members leaving for China.

The list of the 14 Azzura players departing for Hong-Kong
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Dribblers: 3. Carlotta Cambi, 20. Chidera Blessing Eze.
Setters: 2. Alice Degradi, 16. Stella Nervini, 21. Loveth Omoruyi, 22. Gaia Giovannini.
Centrals: 10. Benedetta Sartori, 11. Anna Danesi (C), 14. Linda Nwakalor, 19. Sarah Fahr,
Opposites: 18. Paola Egonu, 32. Adhu Malual.
Liberi: 6. Monica De Gennaro, 7. Eleonora Fersino.

A medal came for Italy on the first day of the European championships in Genoa, and it was won by Martina Batini, bronze in women’s foil: it is her third individual continental medal after gold in 2023 in Plovdiv and silver in Strasbourg even in 2014.

The 36-year-old Tuscan from Pisa lost 15-12 in the semifinals to Britain’s Carolina Stutchbury. The gold went to France’s Eva Lacheray, who in the other semifinal had dominated the other bronze medalist, Hungary’s Flora Pasztor, and then defeated Stutchbury 15-13 in the final.

The 36-year-old from Pisa, Italy, lost 15-12 in the semifinals.

Out in the round of 16 came Alice Volpi, 15-11 from France’s Morgane Patru, Arianna Errigo, 15-13 from Greece’s Maria-Eleni Chaldaiou, and Anna Cristino, 15-13 from Stutchbury. Among the men, defending champion Michele Gallo was eliminated in the quarterfinals by Frenchman Jean-Philippe Patrice and was placed sixth.

“I am happy with this bronze, although there remains the regret of not having done more in front of a warm, wonderful audience – said Martina Batini -. Surely my teammates who did not make it to the podium today will have so much desire for redemption in the team competition, in which we will give everything to get the best.”