"World champions!".
Thus the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, welcomed the Italian men's volleyball team to the Quirinale, after yesterday's success in Poland.
"Most affectionate, intense and heartfelt congratulations. It was an unforgettable evening. I saw you last night, I couldn't watch the match with France and Slovenia, but in the final I saw you from the first to the last bar".
"Fairness and mutual respect between the teams that meet is a typical trait of volleyball - added the head of state - I hope it will always remain so, it is an example for all other sports".
Then - jokingly - he added: "Having given the Poles the first set was a gesture of courtesy towards the courteous and sporting public of Katowice".
A special thought, then, Mattarella addressed to the coach Ferdinando De Giorgi, who yesterday won gold from the bench, after having won 3 as a player in 1990, 1994, and 1998. "Winning three world championships as a player was a feat - he said -, but winning a title by leading the team off the pitch is even more challenging. I greatly admired the way he constantly addressed the team during matches, his tranquility helped to calm the team. " .
And the coach himself thanked Mattarella "for the great sensitivity he has always had for sport in general and volleyball today in particular. We achieved a historic result, we hadn't won a world championship for 24 years and I was in that team in the '98 and for me it was something incredible, these guys made me proud, it was like a passage with the blue jersey. This result, obtained with guys who believed in a project, are talented young people and a trust and hope for our country, they generate value and I believe they should be held in high regard ".
Then, on behalf of the team, it was captain Simone Giannelli who turned to Mattarella: "Dear President, now we are 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 so far, we did it with our style, joy and smile. We are special guys with the desire to step down. Yesterday we seemed to have fun and it did not seem like playing a World Cup final, we are proud for what has been done, I would be very happy to come back here another time ".
Captain Giannelli gave the President of the Republic a volleyball with all the signatures of the world champions.