CONI’s Salone d’Onore hosted the round table “Coaching the Azzuro – a Debate between Head Coaches”. Promoted by the President of the Italian Basketball Federation, Giovanni Petrucci, and opened by the speeches of the President of the Italian National Olympic Committee, Giovanni Malagò, and the Minister for Sport and Youth, Andrea Abodi, the meeting was moderated by CONI Secretary General, Carlo Mornati, and saw the participation of four technical commissioners of the men’s national teams: Alessandro Campagna (Head Coach of water polo), Ferdinando De Giorgi (Head Coach of volleyball), Roberto Mancini (Head Coach of football) and Gianmarco Pozzecco (Head Coach of basketball).

“It is a nice idea, an initiative that can give us added value. I have always said that the results achieved by Italian sport come because we are competent and have great coaches. Just look at one thing: we export coaches all over the world, while we have a harder time with players, and this makes one think,” stated Giovanni Malagò opening the meeting. The CONI President then reflected on the most recent editions of the Olympic Games: “Between Tokyo and Beijing we won 57 medals, a mighty feat. But not having made it onto the podium in team sports leaves a bitter taste in the mouth: winning at football, volleyball, basketball or water polo holds a special prestige. You will see that in Paris we will break through all of that.”

“We always talk about great results and never remember that we have the best coaches in the world,” Giovanni Petrucci remarked. “If an athlete is good, then certainly the coach is really good. Today we are repeating what we did years ago with Sacchi, Messina and Rudic by comparing different skills in a year leading up to the Olympic Games,”explained the FIP President.

“Let’s rediscover the values of the Azzurri colours and promote them at school level. The aim is not just to win, but to convince people, because defeat also plays a part,” Andrea Abodi noted. “The supremacy of values, with a capital V, must come before results, because it makes our world proud.  This is how we win the daily battle to promote sport and strengthen sports movement activities in schools. If sometimes the goal is sporting supremacy, as far as I am concerned the daily goal is the supremacy of values,” added the Minister for Sport and Youth.

Many topics were discussed, including the difficulty of managing the generational turnover, as Roberto Mancinipointed out: “In Italy we have to start thinking that 18-19 year olds can play at the highest level. We have to show faith in them instead of going to look for players abroad. Today the process of selection has become difficult for me. In the Under-21s most of the players are not first team starters. Young people are our future. It is not an easy path but our basic mentality needs to change,” explained the coach of the national team.

He was echoed by Ferdinando De Giorgi: “The technical commissioners and their staff must create opportunities and a growth-oriented environment to allow young people to express their skills and talent.  The youngsters have incredible strength.  When you create the right situation around them and give them responsibility and values, the entire course benefits,” said the coach of the men’s world champion national volleyball team.

“18-year-olds must be considered to all intents and purposes as sportsmen and sportswomen suitable for our system,”said Gianmarco Pozzecco, Italy’s basketball coach. “The national team must be a family.  The youth of today are much more professional than in our times. In my opinion, all this makes for a less smooth career path.”  

Alessandro Campagna also aligned himself with the positions of his colleagues: “For a head coach, it is essential to look towards the future to try to understand who the next Olympic champions might be. When you put young people in the team you never know how long it will take to get results: the important thing is to make them feel they are on a great path to victory,” concluded the head coach of the Settebello team.