"World champions! Most affectionate, intense and heartfelt congratulations. It was an unforgettable evening"
.
This was stated by the President of the Republic
Sergio Mattarella
from the Quirinale where he met the national volleyball team.
"
We are a national team at the top of the world, with an average age of 24, never anyone like us, only the USSR which no longer exists.
We in sport and those who look at us from the outside are very proud of it: long live volleyball , long live Italian sport long live Italy ".
The president of Coni, Giovanni Malagò,
at the Quirinale for the meeting with the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, and the italvolley world champion, exalts the blues led by De Giorgi.
"We are very happy, when yesterday we thought of having this meeting with those who had been protagonists in the Volleyball World Cup, I found in her a great attention and sensitivity for her great love for sport and in particular for volleyball. She told us - reveals Malagò - 'we organize in any case even if they do not win.' An incredible team, 24 years of average age, born from a formible intuition of President Manfredi which I believe was decisive, to put De Giorgi at the helm of this national team, who added a World Cup with the three already won as a player ".
"These blues are talented young people, they are a sign of hope for our country because they generate value".
This was stated by
Ferdinando De Giorgi
,
Italy's volleyball world champion coach,
thanking the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, who received the Azzurri at the Quirinale.
"We have achieved a historic result - said the Italian coach - I had won the last title 24 years ago, as a player, and winning it back today was like a long hug with a group of guys who believed in the project and yes it was. spent to the end "
"
Dear President, we are now realizing what we did, I was little and I don't remember the other World Cup 24 years ago.
I am very happy to have brought Italy this far, we did it with our style, joy and smile".
The captain of the world volleyball champion Italy, Simone Giannelli, at the Quirinale gave the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella a volleyball with all the signatures of the world champions.
"We are special guys - added Giannelli - with the desire to get involved. Yesterday we seemed to have fun and it didn't feel like playing a World Cup final, we are proud of what we have done, I would be very happy to come back here another time" .
LIVE FROM QUIRINALE
Italvolley, which beat Poland in front of the home crowd last night in the World Cup final played in Katowice, returned to Rome on a charter flight that arrived in Fiumicino at 11.15.
After landing, the national team got on a bus waiting near the parking area of the plane with which, escorted by the police, it left the airport through a secondary passage to reach the Quirinale where at 12.45 it was received by the head of state.
The Quirinal square, to welcome the athletes there were about fifty fans.
In addition to De Giorgi's national team, the president of Coni, Giovanni Malagó, the general secretary, Carlo Mornati, and the president of federvolley, Giuseppe Manfredi, also got off the bus from Fiumicino.
At 1.30 pm the Italian delegation will be received by Prime Minister Draghi.