Blengini and Zaytsev delighted with victory over Japan

Rome, Italy, September 9, 2018 – On Sunday night, Italy opened their campaign at the FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Championship 2018 with a 3-0 victory over Japan. The result obviously leaves the respective coaches and captains with very different feelings.

Gianlorenzo Blengini, coach of Italy: “It was quite emotional to play the opening match of the World Championship in front of this crowd which made the event even more special. I wish to thank everyone. The spectators were fantastic and they helped us overcome a tough opponent like Japan. My team played a clean match, without getting annoyed when the point was not made immediately. We were able to take advantage of different opportunities. Playing in front of all those fans and the President of the Republic was a great honour and it gives us a sense of the importance of this Championship.”

Ivan Zaytsev, captain of Italy: “It was not easy to find reference points since the ball was travelling at a slower speed with respect to an indoor match; apart from these technical aspects, we took home three important points for continuing the path in this World Championship. I believe that the level of play was not optimal but honestly, the conditions in this venue were atypical. We are pleased and optimistic for the continuation of this championship. Playing here in Rome, with this incredible crowd, is an experience difficult to explain. From an emotional point of view, it was perfect: technically, we still need to work and grow to be more competitive.”

Masahiro Yanagida, captain of Japan: “We did not show what we are capable of and what we have been working on for the whole summer. As a result, I am confident and hopeful that in Florence we will be playing better than we did tonight in Rome. Italy’s side-out game was extremely effective and we could not defend as we should have.”

Yuichi Nakagaichi, coach of Japan: “I do not think that Italy played a good game tonight, so I see this match as a wasted opportunity for us. We should have taken more risks with our serve in order to put more pressure on Italy.”

Source: www.fivb.org