After its traumatic Radostin Stoytchev experiment, Modena is going all out in making sure it won’t have a coaching problem this season. It is doing so by going a very conservative route of hiring a coaching staff with deep roots with the team. First, it inked legend Julio Velasco for the head coaching job. Now, it announced in its official website Italian legend Luca Cantagalli as his assistant. Cantagalli has over 20 years of history with the club as a player, winning seven Italian Championships, 8 Italian Cups, and 4 Champions League trophies. As member of Italy’s national team, he amassed 330 caps for what was arguably one of the most dominant dynasties in volleyball history, coached by none other than Velasco himself. When all was said and done, Cantagalli won 2 World, 3 European, and 4 World League gold medals to his name.
After retiring, Cantagalli took to coaching, amassing some experience in Italy’s A2 League. Now back in Modena, here is what he had to say of his new goals:
“Modena has always been my home and it will be like being in a family. It is a huge emotion to come back here. Working with Velasco and Sartoretti? They are fantastic people, who have great competence and for me to work with Julio is part of a journey of absolute and great prestige. Sartoretti has always been a great teammate and a friend and I’m sure it will be a good season from all points of view. The emotion of sitting on the Modena bench? I will be able to say my feelings on the day that I will enter PalaPanini with the official uniform of Modena Volley, but it will surely be something unique and very different from dressing the shirt as a player, I want to contribute something to my favorite team. The public? I expect to see always the same enthusiasm and the same positive cheer towards the team, what makes Modena unique.”
Modena had a tumutlous 2017-18 season. Supposed to be a super team, it fell to Lube Civitanova in A1’s semifinals after internal struggles within the team surfaced at the start of the playoffs.
To recall the Ngapeth x Stoytchev feud saga, visit the following articles:
- Trouble Brewing In Modena After Ngapeth’s Feud With Coach Stoytchev
- Modena Confirms It Will Take Disciplinary Action Against Ngapeth
- Modena and Ngapeth Reach An Agreement
- Earvin Ngapeth Announces His Transfer To Russia’s Zenit Kazan
- Stoytchev Fired From Modena
- Catia Pedrini assumes full responsibility for Stoytchev fiasco
- Stoytchev Defends Himself From Players’ Accusations
- Modena’s VP Resigns, Rips Teams’ Players And Staff
- Is Modena Better Off Without Stoytchev, Bruno, And Ngapeth?
- Modena Signs Julio Velasco As New Head Coach
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