Domotek, Enrico Zappoli: “Belluno is the most physical team in the league. We’re fired up, the PalaBenvenuti will be a spectacle.”
With just under 24 hours to go until Game 1 of the Promotion Final, Domotek Reggio Calabria is preparing to face Belluno Volley in a PalaBenvenuti (Botteghelle) that promises to be heated. The match is scheduled for Wednesday, May 6th at 8:30 PM, and the atmosphere is already that of a great occasion. Coming off a semifinal featuring a “very, very good performance,” Brazilian spiker Enrico Guarienti Zappoli speaks of confidence, respect for his opponent, and the knowledge that a team has bounced back, won, and wants to continue doing so.
“We’re feeling good, certainly tired, but I think we’re like Belluno, who got this far. We’re fired up because winning this semifinal the way we did wasn’t easy. After losing the promotion play-off against Reggio Emilia, it wasn’t easy mentally: physically, little has changed, but mentally… And yet, we’re ready.” Fatigue is present, but it’s not a concern. In fact, the short time between the semifinals and the final could turn into an advantage: “We had little time after the semifinals. Better this way, in my opinion: less time to train, closer matches. It’s a good thing.”
When it comes to the opponent, Guarienti Zappoli doesn’t mince his words: “From my point of view, Belluno is the most physical team in the league, without a shadow of a doubt. As a team, they’re very strong, but on an individual level, there’s no need to even talk about each of them.”
There’s been much talk in recent days about the stadium issue due to the unavailability of the Palacalafiore. But Zappoli puts an end to any controversy: “In my opinion, we’ll just have to focus on the ball, the net, and getting it to the other end.” Then a concession to the beauty of the game: “It would be much nicer to play at the PalaCalafiore, because it’s the most beautiful facility. I’ve already played at the Botteghelle: in the end, it’s still volleyball. It doesn’t change for those of us on the court.” What will change, however, is the atmosphere: “It will change in terms of the cheering, the noise it will create. A lower, more compact court, the crowd will be closer together. It will definitely be a spectacle. If I imagine it, I can already hear the noise.”
