The sport director Corsano, former protagonist in blue and great expert of international volleyball, analyzes the path of Italy and the athletes who will also be part of the Gioiella Prisma roster involved in the initial phases of the VNL with a projection on the Olympic Games in August.

How did you see Italy’s first phase in the VNL?

As for our national team, I would say the start of the VNL was very good with the consequent achievement of the first objective of the season which was qualifying for the Olympics.

How did Gioiella Prisma’s new signings perform in their respective national teams?

I spoke to our national teams (Jan Zimmermann, Roamy Alonso, Wout D’Heer, Brodie Hofer) a few days ago, they are physically well and are working at a high level to be able to be protagonists also on the international field and I am sure that the experience they are living will also be useful for the championship they will face with us.

What do you foresee for the Olympics, which do you think are the most renowned and favored teams?

In anticipation of the Olympic Games I believe that the favorite teams will always be the same ones who have already been protagonists in the latest international tournaments, therefore Italy, United States, Poland, France because they play at home and I add Brazil by tradition. Then there can always be a surprise… it will be a truly very interesting Olympic Games.

Mirko Corsano was born in Casarano (LE) on 10/28/1973, and raised in Ugento, boasts a long career as a player, he played as a libero for Modena, Milan, Macerata and Rome (until 2011/2012) winning several titles and trophies, including three league titles, a Champions League and three CEV Cups.

Corsano has made more than 200 appearances for the national team, winning a World Cup in 1998 and three European Championships (1999, 2003, 2005). At the 2000 Sydney Olympics he won bronze. He won the title of best libero in the 2005 European Championships in Rome and in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

Since the 2013-14 season Corsano has also held the role of coach, first in Poland as assistant coach, winning a Polish Cup, then as second of the national team. From the 2020/2021 season, Mirko Corsano becomes manager and sporting director at the service of Virtus Tricase and Aurispa Alessano Lecce.

In the 2021-22 season he enriches the technical-managerial framework of Prisma Taranto by working as sporting director for President Bongiovanni’s club, newly promoted to the Super League, bringing his professional and personal experience to the team, obtaining the first historic salvation, then takes a “sabbatical” year off from volleyball, to return as sporting director in the 23-24 season.

Also for the 24-25 championship he will be at the service of the Ionian club as he said.