07/11/2018 14:32
Italian superstar Piccinini celebrates 25 years as a Volleyball pro
News from the clubs
Novara, Italy, November 7, 2018. Italian Volleyball superstar Francesca Piccinini celebrates today 25 years since making her debut as a pro in the matchup between Pallavolo CARRARESE and Olimpia Teodora RAVENNA. Today, 25 years and 32 gold medals later, the Italian outside hitter is still playing at the highest level with Igor Gorgonzola NOVARA, where she is spending her third season in a row.
“I feel great,” says Francesca Piccinini, “and I keep looking forward to achieving further goals and to winning additional gold medals. I will turn 40 in January but I still have the same love and passion for Volleyball that I had when I took to the court for the first time. I remember my debut; I was 14 and had so many dreams in my head: today I can say I realised many of them and I am proud of the woman I am.”
In 25 years, Francesca Piccinini always played in the Italian first national league but one season, when she wore the jersey of Rexona in Brazil. “I feel honoured for having a place in Volleyball history. I could see my sport changing so much and so fast during this time. Today we have more fans and more attention from the media than we used to have when I started. Social media have helped us increase the fans engagement and I think we should keep working hard to make our sport grow even further. As far as my career is concerned, I had the chance of working with so many great coaches and players. I would like to express the deepest gratitude to Beppe Giannetti, my first coach, and Sara Anzanello, my dearest teammate on the national team: they both passed away recently and I miss them.”
Throughout her career, Piccinini could win as many as 32 titles with clubs and the Italian national team. “I have wonderful memories of every single game and competition I won. I especially enjoyed all of the “first-time” victories: the 2002 World Championship with the Italian national team, the first national league and Champions League titles with Volley BERGAMO and again the first historic title with NOVARA: they had been waiting for this result for almost 20 years and I am proud I could help them realise such a dream. Honestly, I look forward to celebrating some more titles: this year in Novara we have a great roster and I am confident we can achieve the best possible result in Italian national competitions and in the CEV Champions League as well.”
Does Piccinini have any regrets? “Just one: we could never win the Olympic Games. That is the only medal I miss in my “collection” and even in Italian Volleyball history. I very much wish that our current national team could make this happen at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. They played an amazing World Championship in Japan and the team is still so young and already so much talented. I am confident that Davide Mazzanti can prepare the girls in the best possible way for what lies ahead and for sure I will be supporting them.”
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