cesil\prov1098\ghis10

DECEMBER 1998

To understand the importance of a success, the consecutive third, in a world championship where the volley azure national team has succeeded, it's enough to refer to the history of the Italians sport; none of our team has ever centred, in the team disciplines, three consecutive titles. World level, the undertaking of the Italvolley places in that niche sector where hurdle mythical figures let through triumphs and triumphs for years.
Without taking away anything to the invincible Cuba of nowadays baseball or the ice hockey Soviet Union of the 80s, it is to underline how the value of the three triumphs awards an apart page certainly more sounding. The recurrence of the volley event (every 4 years) makes more comprehensible the super-heroes renown surrounding our athletes after the victory at Tokyo at the end of November.
Repeating as far as three times in eight years (Rio de Janeiro 1990, Athena 1994, Tokyo 1998), taking also into account the generation changes and the turn over of coaches and staff, shows that in this discipline it is available a real golden mine for our country. That must be exploited and cared in details. From where and till now, first Velasco and than Bebeto, have dug out a three of merit.
Just the change in managing has aroused perplexity about the possibility of keeping on the Italian miraculous cycle. The destiny of the azure volley, taken off thanks to the technical managing of the Argentine, seemed just to be hand in glove with this South American figure, already settled in the peninsula. A Velasco able, just for historical reasons, to know in details the psychological recesses of the Italian character and thanks to the several successes, risen to the rôle of great stimulation and fine strategist just mental level. His parting to the Italvolley, in 1996, after the bitterness due to the only one aim he failed, that is the Olympic Games, seemed the end of a splendid mini-cycle that enriched the boards of our volley of all it could be won. The azure school has instead proved, as it was supported by some leading men, to have at its internals the winning genius able to

break out in the great opportunities. It cannot be explained otherwise how a group has had in the sole Captain Gardini the recurrent reference of the three editions, could always knew how to constantly regenerate a world six.After Velasco, the federation's bet fell over another South American coach, Bebeto, a fine expert of our volley events too.

But who at the rendering of accounts will be reminded more for those fantastic 15 days when he brought the national team to the third victory than for the foregoing ten years of activity. It is witnessed by the courageous move of the same Brasilian coach, who after the tremendous stress he accumulated at Tokyo, decided to leave volley as a coach. A Bebeto almost unable to smile in the climax of the event; first, when silently, without any sign of joy, he decided to not celebrate the azure success over his Brazil at the semi-finals. Then, after the finals, shattered by the emotive waste, watching at his boys disputing the World Cup, with outward

indifference, while playing the national anthem. The Velasco's winning legacy had its weight; it was a real brewing of winning memories, hard to govern. Once settled the pieces, that is the unavoidable polemics that belong to the Italian sport world, the main ingredient, Bebeto, has chosen the better escape way. The victory one. An undertaking under many aspects alike to the one of the football French coach Jaime Jacquet, who after giving his country an historical triumph, decided to leave.
Now the mine Italy passes to some other talent scout and confirming rumours, it seems it will be an Italian expert. The reversal of the trend must this way mark, at least for the volley, the end of a nevertheless prolific xenophilous policy of the past ten years that has involved other Italian federations . Besides football, where this possibility seems so far, it is to notice how in other collective disciplines featured by the greatest part of followers and best results there are foreign coaches. It is the case of basket (Tanjievic), rugby (Coste) and as it was till some days ago the volley.
Which, first with Velasco, then with Bebeto, notwithstanding the other unbelievable triumphs, has never succeeded in conquering the Olympic games. And maybe, for patriotism and loyalty to tradition, it will decide to bring us to success only when a home steersman will hoist the flag of the Italian national team completely azure.

Leadership Medica^®

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