Matteo Mancinelli’s desire to never give up: “I’ll be back and I can’t wait!”
Reggio Calabria – The beating heart of Domotek Reggio Calabria is still beating strong, very strong indeed. Despite the injury that keeps him away from the court, spiker Matteo Mancinelli was the hidden—yet omnipresent—heart of the Del Monte Super Cup triumph against Reggio Emilia. A victory that felt like revenge, dedicated to the “Martello” (Hammer), who was injured in Game 5 of the A2 playoff after only playing two balls. A cruel defeat, but one that sparked unconditional love.
But what did Mancinelli write in his multimedia message to ignite the locker room? The answer comes directly from the player himself, with his trademark frankness.
“No, I just said things I felt,” Mancinelli explained, “things that came from my experience, for what little volleyball experience I have. I’ve always played on the volleyball court. I sent the guys a message just to get them fired up. Obviously, I won’t tell you what it says because it might be a little personal… and we’ll see.”
On the eve of the final, few believed in a dramatic turn of events. Yet, Reggio Calabria’s second trophy was no coincidence. Mancinelli confesses: “Honestly, I was kind of expecting it. I wanted to see from the guys what they hadn’t seen due to bad luck in Game 5, perhaps also due to my injury. I told them: have fun, do your best. A final isn’t played every day; it’s a beautiful thing.”
The bitter taste in his mouth over missing out on direct promotion, when he had already returned home, was erased by the embrace of an entire city: “The city is always in top form, ready to celebrate great achievements.”
And regarding their opponent in the playoff semifinals, Acquiterme, I have no fear: “I don’t know them as a team, but I know my own. If we play like we did in the Coppa Italia, like we did at home, and like we did the other day when we won the Super Cup, we’ll be really tough to beat. We’re very strong. We’ll go to their home ground, but this Super Cup will help us win the next match.”
