Italy, the reigning world champions, are still looking for their first medal in the Volleyball Nations League after five appearances. De Giorgi’s outfit is getting closer and closer to a podium finish, though, as they’ve finished fourth in the last two editions of the tournament, seeing a significant improvement from their first three attempts, where they ranked tenth in 2021 and eighth in 2018 and 2019.
The Italians are counting on good results in the preliminary phase of the 2024 Volleyball Nations League to confirm their presence at the highly anticipated Olympic Games in Paris later this year, and the Volleyball Nations League 2024 odds suggest that the Italians will do exactly that.
Their roster that gave Italy their fourth world title in 2022 over Poland continues to act as the core of the talented Italian team, with 12 of the 14 players that won the 2022 title appearing on the 30-player squad for the 2024 VNL season.
Setter Simone Giannelli headlines Italy’s formidable lineup along with the likes of outside hitters Alessandro Michieletto and Daniele Lavia, opposite hitter Yuri Romanò, libero Fabio Balaso, and middle blocker Gianluca Galassi.
The Italians will start their campaign against Germany in Rio de Janeiro in May 2024. They will also play Iran, Japan, and hosts Brazil during that opening week.
Poland will run it back
If there was a team that held the volleyball world on a chokehold last season, it would definitely be Poland. And now, Nikola Grbic and his outfit are keen on continuing where they left off and aim to dominate the 2024 season.
Grbic recently revealed the 30 elite players he trusts will bring glory to Poland in the upcoming 2024 season, and there are no notable absences from the athletes who were responsible for Poland’s mega 2023 season.
All players who were responsible for the team’s qualification for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, all players who beat USA in the Volleyball Nations League 2023 final, and all players who took Poland to the 2023 CEV Men’s European Championship podium are featured on Grbic’s 2024 roster.
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, am I right?
“When deciding who would be in the squad for this year’s season, I took into account the previous two seasons and those players who, in my opinion, had the greatest burden. I’m particularly referring to last year’s group,” Grbic stated. “There are, of course, also some new players who will be included in the preparations from the beginning.”
Bernardinho is back in charge for Brazil
Head coach Bernardo ‘Bernardinho’ Rezende led Brazil to four Olympic podiums between 2004 and 2016, but he stepped down from the role after winning gold at home in Rio. Many, this SBOTOP writer included, said that his gold in Rio was Bernardinho’s Swan Song, a perfect end to what was an illustrious career.
Catching everyone by surprise, Bernardinho returned to the team at the end of 2023 after his successor, Renan Dal Zotto, stepped down as Brazil’s head coach following the Brazilian qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
The 64-year-old recently made Volleyball Nations League 2024 news when he released his first selection last month. The selection includes 11 players who have already completed their club campaigns and immediately started training in the Brazilian team’s facility in Saquarema.
One name that stood out the most from Bernardinho’s first selection was Douglas Souza. The 29-year-old has already announced his retirement from international competition in March 2022. Despite the call-up, the outside hitter made it clear in a post on his social media account that he won’t be with the team during the 2024 season.
“Just saw the news of my call-up for the Brazilian national team. I would like to inform you that my decision to end my international career was made after the Tokyo Olympics. Nothing has changed and the Brazilian Federation was informed of that. I would like to thank everyone who supported me during my time with the national team, as well as the coaches and players I got to work with. We achieved great success together, but my cycle has ended. I will continue to play with my club team, always wishing the national team all the best in the upcoming tournaments,” Souza wrote. Despite the absence of Souza, the Brazilian squad are still a formidable foe, with the likes of middle blocker Lucas Saatkamp, libero Maique Nascimento, and opposite Felipe Roque. Completing the first selection are setter Matheus Brasília, outside hitters Arthur Bento, Daniel Muniz, and Paulo Vinicios Silva, middle blockers Judson Nascimento and Otavio Pinto, and libero Alexandre Elias, all of whom are available for Bernardinho this 2024 season.
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