Volleyball, Simone Giannelli: “From comics I tell the value of inclusion in sport”

Talent and strength to sell, that touch (of class) that never ceases to amaze, hypnotize, mislead opponents. Simone Giannelli, 25 years old on 9 August, one of the symbols of the Italian volleyball team, as for Trentino Volley, of which he is setter and captain, it is now the consolidated confirmation, the reassuring face, of those who, in this sport, have now found themselves, their own dimension, demonstrating it daily, raised on raised, crushed on squashed.

A prodigy of almost two meters, who, since the age of 17, has been able to achieve precious goals, on and off the pitch: from degree in Food Science, bronze, in 2015, at the European Championship, silver in the World Cup, at the Grand Champioship Cup, up to the “bitter” one of the Rio Olympics, in 2016, without forgetting two championships, a CEV Cup and a World Championship for clubs.

Great numbers for the player from Bolzano and his legendary present-future, which now projects him to two crucial moments of the season, the Champions League final, and the second five-ring appointment, in Tokyo. In the meantime, however, he has immersed himself as a protagonist in the magical adventure of a comic book, My first volleyball manual, published by BeccoGiallo, to be released on April 22, playing the role of superhero motivator, guide of a group of boys, the Teen Myths, in a story scripted by Emanuele Apostolidis, and drawn by Salvatore Callerami.

Emotions and illustrations, in a fun, dynamic journey to discover above all the world of volleyball, made up of rules, ethics, values, victories and defeats, embellished with a series of curiosities, with a tribute, among others, to big names in this sport, from Lorenzo Bernardi, Maurizia Cacciatori, Andrea Gardini, Andrea Giani, Eleonora Lo Bianco, to Francesca Piccinini and Andrea Zorzi.

Becoming a comic book superhero is almost like winning another medal, don’t you think?
«As a child I used to read comics, Mickey Mouse, Diabolik, even now to tell the truth, being enchanted by the drawings. When I started playing volleyball I never thought I’d see a comic made about me one day, it looked like science fiction, but thanks BeccoGiallo it has become reality. The book is a way of being close to children, communicating with them ».

In this case he picks up a team of boys and guides them.
“It’s a made-up story, where I try to teach them how they need to improve. But here the most important value I wanted to convey is that of inclusion in team sport. I hope I did. After each chapter there are then some cards, tips, concerning volleyball, for those who want to get closer, in the technique, in the rules, for the correct nutrition, it is a manual where, in lightness, we explain the beauty of this world “.

Has volleyball given you that sense of belonging you are looking for?
“Certainly. I have practiced many sports, from tennis to skiing, football (he is an Inter fan, ed), but it is in volleyball that I found that sense of sharing, of locker room, of acceptance, made up of transfers, emotions, beautiful, ugly, to share with mates. I believe it is one of the fundamental values ​​of sport, in work as in life, I learn every day, to be accepted, in opening up. I made choices, more than sacrifices, that’s why I don’t regret anything, my life has been just a little different from my peers, but I’m happy with everything I’ve done, and haven’t done, compared to the others ».

Everything changed then: would he ever have hoped for it?
«I knew I had skills, but from there to reach certain levels, achieve objectives, achieve results, no, I never thought about it. The motivation pushes me to move forward now without necessarily looking back, I prefer instead to focus on the now ».

Who do you really feel like saying thank you to?
“To the family, to my parents. At the beginning they have many sacrifices to allow me to take this path, not so much because they wanted me to become the strongest in the world, they simply saw me happy in what I did. I will always be grateful to him for doing what I liked, as well as to my team, to president Diego Mosna ».

The next challenge will be the Champions League final, on May 2nd in Verona, against the Polish Zaksa.
«Getting to play it is something important, winning it would be a dream. I’m giving it my all, I believe it. I want to play a good match, bringing to Trento a cup that has been missing for years ».

Then there will be the Tokyo Olympics, the second for her. How does it get there?
«In 2016, in Rio, it was the first experience, there I understood the difficulties of this path, how we got there, the matches, the Olympics, however, for a sportsman, they represent the event par excellence. I would say more aware, with more years of experience behind him, between victories, defeats, those able to forge you, and a silver around the neck, certainly beautiful, but which now must translate into an even more beautiful metal ».

Do you have any rituals before entering the field?
«From a technical point of view, those are the things, there is training, preparation, but every match has its own story. Over time I have understood that superstition is of little use, it is only a belief created by athletes to try to cling to positive or negative situations, so I try to avoid it, I do not see it convenient in any way. Here, perhaps, I always enter the field last, it is that I am slow by nature (laughs, ed) ».

What have you learned from the recent lockdowns?
“That what we used to take for granted was coffee, friends, going to the park with my girlfriend Selly, is not now. The value of time, how we spend it, normality, our perception of reality, will change in the future, I’m sure of it ».

Did you also split between cinema or TV series?
«I have my times, mind you, I don’t devour them, as some teammates do. I am recovering Breakind Bad, I know, I know, everyone has seen it, I always arrive later, as when I enter the field, I hope to return to the cinema soon, I was a great visitor, I miss the big screen, physically go to that place ».

Tennis, he mentioned earlier, seemed to be a path to take, how was he doing?
“I was pretty good to tell the truth, then from there to say playing as a professional, maybe trying my hand at Sinner and Musetti, it would have been absurd, maybe I wouldn’t have even reached the first 1000. Tennis is a complicated, individual sport, volleyball, on the contrary, at that moment, it gave me fun, gratification ».

Are you looking at anyone in particular?
«Roger Federer was, and still is, the sports icon, thanks to his class on and off the pitch, his humility, his ability to be close to people, giving charity, without ever going out of the box. Some sportsmen argue a little too much about things that don’t compete with them, but he doesn’t. I also tend to do this, I prefer to talk about me for what I can give in the field, and the activities I am marrying.

Speaking of examples, names that have written history, Michele Pasinato, who passed away a few days ago, was one of them. What did it represent for your generation?
«In addition to playing, I am a student of volleyball, I never stop observing to learn. Pasinato was one of the pillar players, despite not being so flashy, he did great things at the club level, for the national team, for the movement, he, everyone else, addressed so many of us. I knew about his exploits, unfortunately I never met him in person, I was sorry to hear the news, I didn’t know, it was a serious mourning for the environment.

Who do you value your colleagues instead?
«As a child there was no absolute champion who inspired me, today there are many. I think of Bruninho, the setter of the Brazilian team, he won everything, he is a true leader, and then there is Nimir Abdel-Aziz, let’s play together, or Emanuele Birarelli. The fact is that I try to grasp from others, because everyone manages to give me something, luck is having them close to, or against ».

How intimidating is the other side of the coin, notoriety, the big fashion brands that are looking for it?
«I’m not vain, let’s say it intrigues me if anything. I see them as new fields, to be explored, in which to learn, to get involved. What is certain is that since this has happened I have also found the world to deepen my identity in style, wearing elegant clothes, putting on a tie, nevertheless never worn in my life, or coats. Not only suit therefore, and it is really cool to be able to discover, to look at me from different points of view ».

Being among the best players: do you get used to it in the end, or is it a stimulus to keep your feet on the ground?
«Never consider yourself arrived. To carry the words forward, it is necessary to concretize them and make them correspond in facts ».