Who is Julio Velasco, the guru who revolutionized volleyball in Italy until the glory of Paris 2024

Who is Julio Velasco, the guru who revolutionized volleyball in Italy until the glory of Paris 2024

Julio Velasco is the man of destiny for Italian volleyball. He who – after a thousand successes at the helm of the Sandwiches Modena (the Juventus of volleyball in the 80s) – opened the blue winning cycle in the distant 1989 in Sweden, when its national team was full of young talents (people who would write the history of this sport: from Zorzi in Lucchetta, passing through Bernardi, Gardini and Cantagalli) won the European Championship.

A gold medal that was the premise for an incredible cycle full of victories conquered by that generation of phenomena: from World Cup (in Brazil in 1990 an incredible feat, beating the hosts in a fiery semi-final and Cuba by Joel Despaigne which seemed invincible, then the encore in Greece in 1994), new laurels in Europe (3 titles in total in the Old Continent), the World League (a poker of successes).

Always with Julio at the wheel.

Julio? More than a coach.

A philosopher (he who was six exams away from graduating) who enchanted people when he spoke, a mental coacha charismatic coach which captured the collective imagination by going beyond volleyball and the victories achieved on the field.

His was a cultural, sporting and media revolution. Similar to the one that, in those years, brought Henry Sacchi in football. Maybe even more.

Only one thing was missing in the trophy gallery for the man born in La Plata on February 9, 1952. and who lived there dramatic years of military dictatorship in Argentina in the 70s, the repression, the desaparecidos (Julio’s brother, Luis, was kidnapped and tortured by the regime): the victory of the Olympics.

Yes, the curse of the Games for him and his boys. In Barcelona in 1992 the Italian Dream Team of Volleyball he lived a cursed afternoon losing in the fifth set of the quarter-finals against a very strong Holland team, but that nobody thought could really beat our team. Four years, in Atlanta ’96 it seemed like a date with destiny was written: Olympic final and the Azzurri were loaded, favourites, determined to take the only trophy that was missing. Taking revenge against Holland who were once again on the other side of the net. The story is well known: another fifth-set defeat, the Orange national team celebrating and a silver medal for Italy.

A second place that still hurts the supporters of Ital-Volley, looking for a parallel for those who do not follow volleyball, a pain similar to that felt by football fans after the penalties of the Italy-Brazil final at the 1994 World Cup in USA.

An Olympic curse that men’s volleyball has not yet managed to exorcise: fourth in this Paris 2024 review where the hope was for a medal, dreaming of the golden feat, with Fefè De Giorgi at the helm, he who was the setter in the national team of phenomena.

An Olympic Curse That Velasco Has Erased Sunday 11 August 2024 at the Paris Olympics, leading the women’s Italian Volleyball team to the gold medal.

Mission accomplished Julio.

Paris 2024: Velasco, ‘I wasn’t obsessed with gold, I was still at peace with myself’

“Revenge after the missed gold in Atlanta ’96? No. I don’t feel like Baggio who says he can’t rest because he missed the penalty, he too should be at peace. It happens. Atlanta was an extraordinary team that lost a game by two balls. I accepted it because it’s a sporting thing. I never had the obsession that I was missing gold,” the words by Julio Velasco, on Rai Sport after the gold medal victory by the Italian women’s volleyball team at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Velasco and the future: “I’m not a boy, maybe it’s time to stop”

Julio Velasco does not rule out quitting. After winning the Olympic gold medal at the helm of Italy, the Italian coach said: “Los Angeles? It’s too early to think about the next Olympics. We just won, and I’m not a boy. Maybe it’s time to stop, after I won, who knows. Surely no one will find me next week.”