The curtain officially rises on the Men’s Volleyball World Championship, originally organized in Russia but later moved to Poland and Slovenia after the invasion of Ukraine. The twentieth edition of the World Championship will initially include twenty-four teams, which will battle it out from August 26 to September 11, the final day at the Spotek Arena in Katowice. The formats are divided into six pools, with matches played according to the Italian group formula: the top two and four best third-placed teams in each group will advance to the round of 16, with pairings to be established. At the end of the first phase – based on a selection that never fails to raise controversy – the national teams of the host countries can be simplified.
Coach Di Giorgi’s Italy have committed themselves to the continental champion title they captured twelve months ago and will be aiming to climb the podium and win the world champion’s medal, the Azzurri’s third successive World Cup triumph since 1998. Gold in Japan after 90 in Brazil and 94 in Greece. The Italian national team is drawn in Group E alongside China, Turkey and Canada. The debut will be against the Canadians at Stosis Arena in Ljubljana.
Italy-Canada, the Blues’ foes
The Canadian national team’s technical mentor will be hired at the end of 2021 by Ben Josephson, who replaced longtime coach Glenn Hogg and led Canada to ninth place at the last world championships and eighth at the Tokyo Olympics. Currently 14th in the World Cup standings, the red and white selection speaks with an Italian accent, whose strengths include Erik Lobki, Stefan Marr and Super League veterans who will be crushed in Taranto. His sixth season at Monza will live in Italy) and his opposite Arthur Schwarz will keep him at Brianza after three years at Cisterna. Other old acquaintances of the tricolor are Nicolas Hoke, who works in Milan, Trento and Perugia, setter Brett Walsh, who wore a Vero Valley jersey, and Madhya Van Berkel, who went through Spoleto years ago. Another part of the roster has settled in Ligue 1, replacing director Eb and Schlater (Al Sade) with Free Martial of Nice and Central Hove of Poitiers. John Perrin, married in Verona, and Sharon Vernon Evans, now in Japan after Italian experiences in Ravenna and Perugia, were not part of the trip.
Italy-Canada, forms
Italy: Giannelli, Sperdoli, Romano, Binali, Anzani, Galassi, Mosca, Russo, Bottolo, Lavia, Micheletto, Resin, Palazzo (L), Scanferla (L). Cattle breeder De Giorgi
Canada: Epp, Walsh, Szwarc, Sclater, Eshenko, Van Berkel, Howe, Hoag, Loeppky, Maar, Barnes, Hofer, Elser, Marshall (L). Herds Josephson
Watch Italy-Canada game on TV and streaming
The Italy-Canada match, scheduled for 9.15pm on Saturday 27th, will be telecast unencrypted on Roy 2 and streamed on the Roy Play portal. It will be seen on Sky Sport Arena (satellite channel 204) and will also be available streaming on Sky Go and Now TV. The tournament is also available to subscribers of Volleyballworld.tv.
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