FARM Fresh added a touch of foreign flair with the appointment of seasoned Italian head coach Alessandro Lodi.
Lodi replaces Benson Bocboc, who steered the Foxies to a 10th-place finish in his lone conference as interim-turned-head coach.
Bocboc will now focus solely in his role with the University of the Philippines women's volleyball team in the UAAP.
READ SOURCES SAY: Up and coming PVL team eyeing coaching change
The Italian mentor has had multiple tours of intercontinental coaching duty in his 15-year career to date in Europe, North America and Asia.
Among the nations where he has once called the shots for are Switzerland, Poland, United States, Sweden, Finland, Japan, Germany and most recently in Czechia.
Lodi, 46, has a pair of European cup titles to his name upon leading LiigaPloki to the Women’s Finnish Cup in the 2019-20 season before steering Lindaren Volley to the Men’s Swiss Supercup a year later.
As such, the Foxies will now have a trio of Italian coaches onboard for the remainder of the 2025 PVL season.
The Italian tactician joins Strong Group Athletics mainstay volleyball consultant and his compatriot Fabio Menta in fortifying Farm Fresh’s future campaigns.
Completing the Foxies’ Italian coaching unit is Carlo Buzzichelli who will lead the team’s strength and conditioning department, as well as that of sister team ZUS Coffee.
PVL's four foreign coaches
Lodi’s forthcoming entry to the PVL makes him the league’s fourth active foreign head coach. In effect, one-third of the league is now coached by a foreigner.
He follows the trail of fellow Italian Ettore Guidetti (Nxled) and the Japanese duo of champion coach Koji Tsuzurabara (Petro Gazz) and Taka Minowa (Akari).
Lodi’s first major call as head coach comes in about a month’s time in the 2025 PVL Draft where the Foxies have secured at least a top four pick.
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