After an epic five-set battle against Brazil in the semifinal of the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Championship, the Italian squad—known as the Azzurre—reflected on the resilience, unity, and belief that propelled them into Sunday’s final clash with Türkiye.
Head coach Julio Velasco hailed the mental strength of his players, especially in the face of adversity.
“One of the best qualities of this team is that it never gives up, no matter the difficulties,” Velasco said. “Fahr injured her ankle during warm-up, and Orro turned hers in the second set—these are moments that could break a team mentally. But the girls stayed focused and fought until the very end.
We can’t expect everything to go as smoothly as last year, but winning battles like this, under such tough conditions, makes it extraordinary.”
Velasco also pushed back against the notion that the Brazil match was the unofficial final:
“Brazil is a great team with an incredible tradition, and we respect them immensely. But this wasn’t the ‘real final,’ as some might say. The final is tomorrow—against Türkiye.”
Ekaterina Antropova, who delivered a standout 28-point performance off the bench, called the victory a testament to the team’s emotional strength:
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“This is a victory of heart and character. We looked into each other’s eyes and played as one. That spirit carried us through every difficult moment, and that’s why this win is so special.”
Team captain Myriam Sylla acknowledged the nerves that came with facing a familiar rival but praised her teammates for overcoming the pressure:
“We started tense, maybe overthinking our past semifinal loss to them in the Netherlands. But we didn’t let history repeat itself. Even with the ankle problems early on, we stayed together. I’m extremely proud of how we fought as a group.”
Italy will now face a formidable Türkiye side in Sunday’s final at 19:30 local time (12:30 GMT), while Brazil will look to rebound in the bronze medal match against Japan.
With Olympic and Nations League titles already in hand, the Azzurre are just one win away from adding the World Championship crown—and completing a historic treble.
