The curtain falls, and it’s not the ending we’d written in our summer dreams. Relegation is an open wound, a burning bitterness, but there’s something the pitch can never downgrade: gratitude. In sport, as in life, cycles end, strategies change, and paths diverge, but the history written over these years remains etched in the walls of this club.
The Pillars That Remain in the Heart
Saying goodbye to Riccardo Vecchi isn’t just saying goodbye to a captain, it’s seeing a piece of the soul of M&G leave. An entire career in these colors, a loyalty from another era that made him a symbol of a people. Riccardo has chosen to seek the continuity of play that every athlete craves elsewhere, but we know that with him it will never be a goodbye. The Yuasa Battery jersey isn’t just a fabric for him, but a second skin, an invisible tattoo he’ll carry everywhere. And this is clearly evident in his own words:
“It’s difficult, perhaps impossible, to find the right words when it comes to saying goodbye to what for years has not only been my team, but a true family.
Looking back, it seems like yesterday when I began my journey with this jersey. We were far from the spotlight, playing in the lower division arenas, but we had within us an extraordinary hunger and ambition.
We began this journey from the bottom, one brick at a time, facing endless away trips, moments of difficulty and rebirth. Together we dreamed of the most important stages of Italian volleyball and, victory after victory, promotion after promotion, we climbed every category until we touched the sky of the Super League.
Today our sporting paths are dividing, and for me the time has come to take on a new challenge, but nothing will ever erase or diminish what we have built together.
My deepest thanks go to the club for always believing in me and supporting me at every stage of my growth; a huge thank you. To the coaches, staff members who work behind the scenes with infinite passion, and to the many teammates who shared with me the sweat in the gym and the joy on the pitch. And finally, a huge thank you to the fans, who have never abandoned us, from the regional leagues all the way up to Serie A.
I leave with my head held high and a heart full of gratitude. This club and these colors will always be a fundamental part of my life and my story.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything, I wish you all the best. Greetings from your captain!
