The Italian Volleyball Federation announces that it has entrusted the role of technical commissioner of the women’s national team to Julio Velasco. For the coach from La Plata, technical director of the men’s youth national teams until August, it’s about starting again with a new adventure on the blue bench.
Velasco’s role will begin on January 1st, this is the comment of the federal president Giuseppe Manfredi: “We are very happy that Julio accepted our proposal. We are convinced that entrusting the women’s national team to a coach of his caliber is the best choice at this moment.
There are all the conditions for this new path to give us satisfaction, it will certainly bring an important contribution, as it has always been, to the Italian cause.”
The presentation press conference will be held on Tuesday 21 November at 2 pm, at the Pavesi Federal Center in Milan.
Before the event the new coach will not give interviews on the topic.
THE CURRICULUM OF THE LIFE OF JULIO VELASCO
Julio Velasco was born in La Plata (Argentina) on 9 February 1952. In 1983 he arrived in Italy to coach in Jesi in the men’s A2. In 1985 he moved to coach Panini Modena where he began a cycle of success by winning the scudetto for 4 consecutive years until 1989. During these years he also won 3 Italian Cups and an Italian Super Cup. The first scudetto won at the end of the 1985/86 season came after ten years in which the club had failed to achieve this result. In the 1986/87 season, with Panini he surprisingly won the second consecutive championship without foreigners on the pitch and with young people like Bernardi (18 years old), Cantagalli (21), Vullo (22), Ghiretti (22). There was only one young Argentinian on the bench, Esteban De Palma (19 years old). There were two foreigners allowed. Panini won the third and fourth championship with just one foreigner. In 1989 he became coach of the Italian men’s national team and won the European Championship in Stockholm. For Italy this is the first title in its history. In 1990 he won gold in the World League and the first World Cup won for the Italian national team with the historic final in Rio against Cuba. He also achieved gold in the World Top Four in Japan. In 1991 he obtained the gold medal in the World League and the silver medal in the European Championships. In 1992 he won the third consecutive gold in the World League which was held after the Barcelona Olympics where the Italian national team, although accredited, did not reach the podium but stood out for its style and ability to manage such an important defeat. In 1993 he won gold again at the European Championships in Finland and bronze in the World League finals in Brazil. In 1994 came the victory in the second World Cup in Athens and it is still a gold medal in the World League. In 1995 gold in the World League in Brazil and at the European Championships in Greece. In the World League, Italy has never fielded its six starting players. With a team made up of only young people, they not only qualified for the Finals but won the event by beating the hosts Brazil twice in front of 25,000 Maracanãzinho fans. In 1996 he obtained the Olympic silver medal won in Atlanta. Podium in the World League, second place in the Rotterdam Final. In 1997 and 1998 he moved on to coach the National Women’s Team, laying the foundations for future successes also in the women’s field. In the world of football: In 1998 he entered the world of football as a sports manager, first with Lazio and then with Inter. Return to volleyball: In 2001 he returned to the Czech Republic national team. Return to Italian Serie A clubs: In 2003 he returned to Italy to lead a Serie A club, first Piacenza, then Modena and in the 2006-2007 season Montichiari . With the other national teams: In 2009 he coaches Spain with which he participates in the World Cup. In Italy in 2010. In 2011 another national team bench, that of Iran, with which he wins 2 Asian championships, in 2011 (the first in its history) and in 2013, as well as giving a strong boost to volleyball in Iran. Also in 2013 he won participation in the World League for the first time. On the bench with the Argentina national team: In 2014 he became first coach of the Argentina national team with which he won the Pan American Games. In 2015 he left the Argentina national team after the 2018 World Cup in Italy to return to coach Modena and immediately won the Italian Super Cup in the 2018-2019 season. At the end of the season he leaves Modena and at the same time communicates his decision to stop coaching. Velasco is the only coach in history to have won continental tournaments in two different countries (3 Europeans with Italy and two Asians with Iran) and to have won in three continents (Pan-Americans with Argentina in 2015). Back to the future: In June 2019 the Italian Volleyball Federation offered him the position of Technical Director of the men’s youth sector. Since Julio Velasco has been DT of the men’s youth sector he has won: in 2019 the gold medal at the Under 19 World Championships and the silver medal at the Under 21 World Championships. In 2020 he obtained the gold medal at Under 18 European Championships and the silver medal at the Under 20 European Championships. In 2021, however, he won the Under 21 World Championship in Cagliari. Under his technical supervision, in 2022 the men’s national youth teams won the continental under 18 championships. 18, 20 and 22. To these three titles was also added the first place at the EYOF (European Youth Olympic Festival).
From Wednesday 8 November Velasco was appointed technical commissioner of the senior women’s national team.
