ANGIOLINO Frigoni has long earned the respect of his Italian volleyball compatriots, decades since his bemedaled coaching forays for his homeland.
Nine of his fellow Italian coaches, along with the defending champions themselves, are in the Philippines for the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship.
READ: No regrets for Frigoni even as Alas Men wakes up from dream run
Some of them took time to give Frigoni his flowers for still elevating the men’s game after all these years beyond the confines of the powerhouse nation.
No less than Italy head coach Ferdinando de Giorgi tipped his hat to his first mentor in the sport and one of his World Champion coaches when they won it all in 1994.
“Angiolino was my coach when I was a player. He’s very very good coach and friend,” de Giorgi said.
“It was very important years when we won the World Championship in 1994 and European Championship [in 1993 and 1995]. He has big experience. No need for advice, only good luck.”
Two of Alas Pilipinas Men's Pool A rival coaches in Iran’s Roberto Piazza and Egypt’s Marco Bonitta were also at awe at how the 71-year-old mentor reshaped Philippine volleyball.
“Congratulations to the Philippine team because they play amazing, especially on serve, blocking, and defense,” Bonitta said.
“[With Angiolino], they have a clear option in transition, especially in attack after defense.”
Piazza added: “If you are able to learn from Angiolino, all the movements, I think that you can improve a lot.
“I need to congratulate my colleague from Italia, Angiolino. He did an amazing job. This guy has proven a lot. I’m happy because I am in front, in the same time, I’m not happy because Angiolino lost.”
Italy's gift to the Philippines
One of Italian volleyball’s modern-day rising stars in Ale Michieletto was once under Frigoni’s wing at youth level.
There, they won the biggest prize in world youth volleyball four years ago in Frigoni’s last tour of duty before taking over the reins for Alas Men.
Micheletto saw traces of that transformative leadership with how the Filipinos performed in the FIVB Worlds under the leadership of his former champion coach.
“With Angiolino, I have a lot of beautiful memories. We won a World Championship in under-21 and a silver in European Championship. It was fantastic here with him. I learned a lot from him,” Michieletto said.
“I want to meet Angiolino in Manila to hug him and speak because it’s a lot of time that I didn’t see him. I think he changed the volleyball here because he worked with incredible players. The Philippines need this coach to [grow] volleyball here.”
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