OmiFer Palmi places another important market hit in this summer session with the signing of the strong setter Francesco Cottarelli, former Gioiella Prisma Taranto, who reinforces an already very competitive roster, ahead of the 2023-24 season.
The player, a native of Legnano (MI), still to be 27 years old, comes from a family of volleyball players who “almost forced” him – as he jokingly points out – to practice this sport from the age of 10. After high school, Francesco moved to Piacenza, where he worked his way up for a few years (“I started out as the third setter – he says – until I finished second”), which from Serie B will take him to the Superlega. His career, however, began in the youth team of BluVolley Verona. In 2013-14 he moved to Isola, in Serie B2, remaining there for two seasons. The debut in A1 arrives on the last day of the 2015-16 tournament, precisely with the Emilians of Lpr Piacenza, a team in which he will play for three more years: “we made the European cups – remember – we went to the final four in the Coppa Italia, in short, they were some good moments”. But Cottarelli acquired the most formative experience in the following two years with the black and white jersey of Kione Padova, again in the Superlega, behind Dragan Travica, “setter and extraordinary captain” – remarked Francesco.
After the Venetian adventure, the player moves to Taranto, in A2, winning the championship under the guidance of coach Di Pinto: “it has been a very long and hard year – highlights Francesco – but, in the end, full of satisfactions”. The Apulian parenthesis is followed by the season spent in Catania, with Saturnia Aci Castello, in Serie A3, at the end of which he will score 114 points in the 32 matches, between league, cup and play-offs, all played as a starter: “that he year we also fought against Palmi – underlines Cottarelli – and, in the end, we stopped in the final match 3 against Grottazzolina for promotion; it was truly a fantastic season from all points of view: from the teammates, to the team, to the club which is now in A1”. Finally, last year, a year of salvation with Taranto, where, again with coach Di Pinto, miracles were done, “because – explains Francesco – with the team we had it was difficult to save ourselves, especially with the level that was in Superleague”.
