On Tuesday 20 August, athletes and staff of Atlantide Pallavolo Brescia met at the Molinari stadium in Caionvico to formalize the start of the new season, greeted by president Giovanni Ieraci. The ritual steps: collection of the material, meeting with the press and fans, first technical session in the late afternoon for the start of a sporting year full of expectations and enthusiasm. The medical visits are scheduled for August 23rd at the Panathleticon sports medicine center, now a historic partner of the Toucans, while the first ten days of training will alternate between weight sessions at the Europa Sporting Club, played on the sand of the Arena Beach of Cellatica and exchanges with the ball both on the taraflex of Molinari and on the parquet of the PalaGeorge of Montichiari.
That begins on 6 October at San Filippo against Cuneo and is the eleventh season in Serie A for Atlantide who, after saying goodbye to many of the protagonists who contributed to the conquest of its first national trophies, promises a sparkling championship thanks to the addition of several heavy plugs. There are nine new arrivals, of which five from the top Italian or foreign league: Tondo, Raffelli, Cavuto, Hoffer, Bisset Astengo and Cargioli are the seniors included in the squad, while Bonomi, Manessi and Zambonardi junior are the new young Toucans.
Direction is always entrusted to the hands of Simone Tiberti who will lead his team from the early stages of athletic training, guided, as soon as the Spanish national team releases him from current commitments, by Daniel Perez Lopez. With him are the confirmed Cominetti, Erati, Franzoni and Bettinzoli.
The captain immediately puts the emphasis on the group: “Like the first day of school, it’s always nice to meet new faces… and this year there are really quite a few of them. I’m curious to see us at work: on paper this team has something more than the previous one, especially from the point of view of substitutions. Having some roles covered by a bench like this will allow us to perform better in matches and a lot more fun in training.”
Coach Roberto Zambonardi underlines how Brescia has become an attractive place: “We have an excellent mix of very strong players in all roles and we have created an important corporate context and a coveted and sought-after environment. For us it is a merit, but also an honor and a pleasure to be able to make a team like this available to the city. We know that the rivals are fierce, starting with Aci Castello and Siena, but we are convinced of our value and that we can excel. After the Cups won last year, we want to achieve our most important objective in this one.”
