ALL four teams in Pool A of the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship, one where the Philippines was drawn, are led by Italian head coaches.
Alas Pilipinas head coach Angiolino Frigoni tipped his hat to his three compatriots whom he’ll be sharing the sport’s grandest stage with over the next week.
Another thing Tunisia’s Camillo Placi, Egypt’s Marco Bonitta and Iran’s Roberto Piazza share with the Philippine coach is their longstanding camaraderie and a good friendship away from the volleyball limelight.
While he acknowledges the formidable threats his Italian rival trio will bring to the world stage, Frigoni, 71, isn’t one to back down from a fight even with the odds stacked against his Alas Pilipinas.
Placi, Bonitta and Piazza might already be among the world’s coaching greats, but Frigoni pointed out how he isn’t too bad at his craft either.
“We have three other Italian coaches. All three of them are my friends. I know that they are good coaches, but I am also good,” Frigoni said.
“I don’t have any advantage against them. Maybe they have against me, I don’t know. Maybe they have a better team than I have, I don’t know.
“Coaches can do a lot, but they don’t play. They can only talk. The players have to resolve the problems on the court, not the coaches.”
Knowing the task at hand in Pool A, Alas Pilipinas’ month-long training camp in Europe was just what they needed to go toe-to-toe with the Asian-African troika in their group.
And in Frigoni’s view, the Nationals have really upped the ante in terms of gameplay and composure in time for the World Championship.
READ: Frigoni keeps Alas line-up close to chest ahead of FIVB Worlds
“We did everything possible. I’m happy with how they practiced and I’m happy with how they played in the last friendly matches,” Frigoni said.
“[The Europe camp] was kind of a school for us because we played against teams with tall players, with a good serve, with a good block and with a good strategy in defense, especially Romania and Portugal.
The Alas Men coach added: “We improved a lot in one year. I don’t know if it will be enough to beat Tunisia in the first match. But until now, I’m pretty happy with what we did […] I think that we are pretty confident but that doesn’t mean anything.”
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