After the Brazilian Bernardinho, the French Federation has succeeded in attracting another very big name in world volleyball to the position of coach, with the Italian Andrea Giani who has signed up until the Paris 2024 Games.
Andrea Giani therefore succeeds the Brazilian Bernardinho, who resigned a week ago for personal reasons. Even before the Olympic title won in Tokyo in August 2021, the legendary Brazilian Bernardinho had agreed to take over from Laurent Tillie after the Olympic tournament in Japan at the end of August to lead this team.
The League of Nations to start
The golden generation of French volleyball, led by managers Earvin Ngapeth, Benjamin Toniutti, Jénia Grebennikov and Kévin Tillie, therefore retains a significant power of attraction. Andrea Giani had however extended his lease with the German selection at the end of January, with which he has been engaged since 2017. It gives me real satisfaction to be the new coach of this world-class team, reigning Olympic champions, which has the potential to win all the competitions in which it participates. “, Underlined the new coach, whose first meeting is scheduled for May for the League of Nations scheduled for June and July. A preparation for the World Cup which takes place from August 26 to September 11, the only competition which has not yet succeeded in banding Ngapeth, European champion in 2015 and Olympic champion in 2021.
Former central of the Nazionale, Andrea Giani, 51, was part of the great Italian team of the 1990s and the beginning of the 2000s. He won silver at the Olympic Games in 1996 and 2004, the European title in 1993 , 1995, 1999 and 2003, and the world title in 1990, 1994 and 1998. We can add to this list seven coronations in the World League between 1991 and 2000, and two Champions Leagues, in club with Modena.
He also shone in the coaching suit. Coach of Slovenia, he carried the young nation to the final of the Euro in 2015, lost against … France, then replaced Germany in the final of the Euro in 2017, lost against Russia.
“ After having been one of the best players in the world, today he is one of the very best coaches. “, Estimated the president of the French Federation Éric Tanguy, specifying that he had been interested in Giani in the spring of 2021 to succeed Tillie. At club level, Giani currently manages Modena, where French volleyball star Earvin Ngapeth has been playing since this season.
With AFP