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COPPA ITALIA – FINAL FOUR (JANUARY 24–25)
Coppa Italia Frecciarossa: Inalpi Arena already at record pace — 11,000 expected on Saturday, over 12,000 on Sunday. Press conference in Turin tomorrow
TURIN – The standout figure on the eve of the Coppa Italia Frecciarossa Finals is the crowd: around 11,000 spectators are expected for Saturday’s semifinals and more than 12,000 for Sunday’s final. A full sell-out at the Inalpi Arena would mean 12,800, a record target: Sunday could reach it, but the truly striking signal is already Saturday’s response, with numbers typical of a major event.
The event is also moving forward on the institutional front. Tomorrow, Friday, January 23 at 11:00, sports leaders and representatives of local institutions will gather in the Sala Trasparenza at the Grattacielo Piemonte in Turin for the second official press conference presenting the event organised by the Women’s Volleyball League, under the patronage of the Piedmont Region and the City of Turin, with the collaboration of FIPAV Piemonte.
The focus will be on the captains and head coaches of the four Final Four teams: Prosecco Doc A.Carraro Imoco Conegliano, Igor Gorgonzola Novara, Savino Del Bene Scandicci and Reale Mutua Fenera Chieri. Also scheduled to attend are regional and city officials and the main figures of the volleyball movement, including Councillor for Budget, Internationalisation and Productive Activities Andrea Tronzano, Councillor for Sport and Major Events of the City of Turin Domenico Carretta, Women’s Volleyball League CEO Enzo Barbaro, FIPAV Piemonte President Paolo Marangon, and Trenitalia Product Marketing Manager Roberta Graziosi.
Coppa Italia Frecciarossa: Paola Cardullo to be the Final Four ambassador
TURIN – Paola Cardullo will serve as the ambassador of the 2026 Coppa Italia Frecciarossa Finals. A Piedmont icon who helped redefine the libero role, Cardullo was a cornerstone of Italy’s national team that won the historic 2002 world title and two European championships. Her agility and defensive technique earned her best libero awards across major international competitions, including the Athens 2004 Olympic Games.
Closely tied to Novara for a decade, she also won at club level, including four Coppa Italia titles. After retiring in 2020, she began her coaching career, continuing to pass on her experience to the next generation.
Cardullo said: “I’m happy to be part of an event like the Coppa Italia Frecciarossa Finals, especially this year as it’s being played in Piedmont, in my home region, and in an iconic arena like Turin’s Inalpi Arena… Being the testimonial means a lot to me: I’ll return to the court with the trophy in a special setting, alongside extraordinary athletes who will showcase the best of Serie A. By now, when you think of Coppa Italia you think of Frecciarossa… It will be a great celebration of sport for fans, enthusiasts and the entire city of Turin.”
On court and in the stands, the weekend will also feature two of the most celebrated Italian liberos: Cardullo, world champion in 2002, and De Gennaro, world champion in 2025 and Olympic champion in 2024.
Conegliano on the way to Turin: Coppa Italia Final Four. Semifinal vs Novara on Saturday. Garbellotto: “Scandicci are the favourites”
TURIN – Prosecco DOC A. Carraro Imoco Conegliano have begun their build-up to the Coppa Italia Frecciarossa Final Four: the Panthers travelled today to Turin, where the trophy will be decided on Saturday, January 24 and Sunday, January 25 at the Inalpi Arena.
Conegliano, the reigning holders, will play Novara in Saturday’s 15:30 semifinal. The second semifinal follows at 18:00 between Scandicci and Chieri. Both semifinals will be broadcast free-to-air on Rai Sport. The final is scheduled for Sunday at 15:00, live free-to-air on Rai 2.
Club president Piero Garbellotto highlighted the significance of the venue and the moment for the sport: “We’re arriving at one of the season’s major events… our sport is growing, and being able to fill the most prestigious venue currently in Italian sport with enthusiasm and passion is a source of great pride for the whole movement.” On the Final Four, he added: “I see Scandicci as the favourites… We’ll start from a very tough semifinal against Igor Novara; it will be a battle on every ball. I see one of the most difficult Coppa Italia editions ever.”
Conegliano head coach Daniele Santarelli has a full roster available, and a group of fans is expected to travel from Conegliano. Tomorrow at 11:00, the official event press conference will take place: for Conegliano, Santarelli and captain Asia Wolosz will speak at the Sala Trasparenza of the Grattacielo Piemonte, with live coverage on the Women’s Volleyball League social and YouTube channels.
The Inalpi Arena will host the women’s Coppa Italia Final Four for the first time. Only a limited number of tickets remain, with the final aiming for a sell-out.
Saturday’s match will be the 63rd meeting between Conegliano and Novara. So far, the Panthers have 48 wins, including both regular-season matches this year. Notable “ex” links include Cristina Chirichella (ten seasons in Novara) and Nika Daalderop on Conegliano’s side, and staff member Maurizio Mora, previously in Novara; among former Panthers, Federica Squarcini played at the Palaverde from 2022 to 2024. In Coppa Italia, the teams have met eight times, with an overall 5–3 edge for Conegliano.
For Conegliano, this is their 11th Final Four appearance and the 10th in a row. Their trophy cabinet includes 7 Coppa Italia titles, with a run of six consecutive wins in the most recent editions. After triumphing in 2025, Prosecco DOC also lead the all-time honours list.
TRANSFER MARKET
Sedlacek moves to Greece after Cuneo: joins Olympiakos
CUNEO – Marko Sedlacek is ready for a new chapter. The Croatian outside hitter, who left MA Acqua Paradiso Cuneo two days ago following a mutual contract termination, has been signed by Olympiakos SFP Piraeus, according to international market movements. The 1996-born player from Zagreb changes league mid-season after his latest spell in the Italian top flight with Cuneo.
INTERNATIONAL
Draw complete: groups set for the men’s and women’s U22 European Championships
ROME – The CEV has held the draw for the men’s and women’s U22 European Championships. The women’s tournament will take place July 7–12 in The Hague (Netherlands), while the men’s competition will be staged June 29–July 4 in Albufeira (Portugal).
Eight teams will compete in each event, split into two groups (Pool I and Pool II). The format is a round robin, with the top two teams from each pool advancing to the semifinals, followed by medal matches (third-place playoff and final).
Women’s U22 European Championship
Italy’s U22 women have been placed in Pool II with Serbia, Poland and Portugal, while Pool I features Netherlands, Turkey, Ukraine and Spain.
Italy head to the Netherlands as reigning champions after winning the 2024 edition in Lecce, where the team coached at the time by current women’s youth technical director Marco Mencarelli defeated Serbia in the final, having beaten Latvia, Ukraine and Turkey in the group stage and Turkey again in the semifinal. Italy also booked their place in the Dutch finals by winning the qualification tournament (a three-team event) held last July in Costa Volpino (Bergamo), where the side led by coach Gaetano Gagliardi beat Czech Republic and Portugal.
Groups
POOL I: Netherlands, Turkey, Ukraine, Spain.
POOL II: Italy, Serbia, Poland, Portugal.
Men’s U22 European Championship
Italy’s U22 men have been drawn in Pool II with France (reigning champions), Bulgaria and Czech Republic, while Pool I includes Portugal, Poland, Ukraine and Israel.
Italy will enter the Portuguese event as the reigning runners-up, after taking silver at the 2024 edition in Apeldoorn (Netherlands), where the team coached by current men’s youth technical director Vincenzo Fanizza lost the final in a tie-break to France. The current group, again led by Fanizza, qualified through a four-team tournament held last July in Cisterna di Latina, where Italy faced England, Ukraine and Denmark.
Groups
POOL I: Portugal, Poland, Ukraine, Israel.
POOL II: France, Italy, Bulgaria, Czech Republic.
SUPERLEGA
Cisterna: the final sprint starts at home vs Verona. Falabella: “Survival is the goal, without doing the maths”
CISTERNA – Five matches remain in the regular season and survival still needs to be secured until the numbers provide certainty: Cisterna Volley enter the week leading to Sunday, January 25 (18:00) at the PalaSport in Via delle Province against Rana Verona, a match valid for Round 18 (7th of the return round). Verona, coached by Fabio Soli, arrive on a six-match winning streak and are unbeaten in the second half of the season, dropping only four sets across the two tie-break wins over Piacenza and Trento.
Cisterna have collected four points in their last two outings — a win over Monza and a tie-break loss to Padova — and must protect a seven-point cushion over bottom side Grottazzolina. Ahead of Verona, the staff scheduled an on-court session today, double training on Friday (gym and court), a Saturday afternoon workout, and a Sunday morning tune-up.
Assistant coach Paolo Falabella framed the week like this: “We’re preparing for Verona fully aware of the opponent’s value: their return-round run speaks for itself. We know we’ll have to do everything possible to contain their strengths, which are many, especially in attack. At the same time, it will be crucial to take advantage of every opportunity we’re given. Right now we’re not doing the maths — we’re thinking match by match.”
On the tie-break loss in Padova, Falabella added: “The point in Padova was important to keep moving the standings and to gain on Grottazzolina, but there’s regret for not taking more: the match allowed it. Unfortunately, our performance was below the level we showed against Monza. In the Kioene Arena we got what we deserved for what we expressed; it was nervous and hard-fought, strong in competitiveness, less so in technical quality.”
