Emma Villas Aubay Siena left for Verona: ex race for Lorenzo Cortesia and Federico Bonami
The Emma Villas Aubay Siena left this afternoon for the Veneto region. Where tomorrow evening starting at 20.30 the Tuscan team will challenge Verona for a match valid for the tenth day of the championship. The Scaligeri occupy the fourth position in the standings with 14 points, the result of a journey up to now made up of five wins and four defeats.
The Sienese begin their absolutely intense December against Verona, with six games to play in a month. There are two exes in this match, one on each side: Lorenzo Cortesia on one side, in Siena in the 2018-19 football season (the first for the Sienese team in the Superlega championship), and Federico Bonami on the other side, in Verona for three years until last season.
The tenth day calendar includes the following matches: Perugia – Taranto, Trento – Padua, Piacenza – Cisterna, Monza – Modena while the Milan – Civitanova Marche challenge will be played on Monday.
Verona was promoted to the Superlega in 2008; over time he has brought out many important young players, even winning a Challenge Cup. The expert and successful Bulgarian coach Stoytchev has been at the helm of this team for four seasons (4 Scudettos, 3 Champions Leagues, 4 Club World Cups, 3 Italian Cup). A duo of well-matched setters (the expert Brazilian Raphael, born in 1979, and the Italian Spirito) in diagonal with the giant (220 cm) Russian Sapozhkov; in place 4 the Canadian spiker Perrin, the Malian striker Keita (recordman of the Italian championship with 18 aces) and the Slovenian promise Mozic alternate; in the center Cortesia and Mosca (new world champion with De Giorgi) alternate with the Bulgarian Grozdanov; the free Gaggini closes the roster.
There is only one precedent between the two teams at the Agsm forum, in favor of the Venetians, for 3-1 dating back to the 2018-2019 season. In the match of that championship held at the PalaEstra Verona he won the tiebreak.
On the eve of the match we placed the two exes of the match next to each other: Federico Bonami and Lorenzo Cortesia.
Federico Bonami, you spent three years in Verona: what are your memories and emotions when you think back to that team and that city?
“Thinking back to Verona obviously excites me because it was a second home for me. I was there for three years, I also experienced bad times there related to the Coronavirus pandemic. I think that in those three years I entered the shirts of that city, that I discovered it and that I began to understand it. I met many people from Verona who really opened their doors to me, I felt right at home and I really enjoyed it. It’s also exciting to think back to the sporting aspect because every year we have fought and we have achieved good results in my opinion. Last year we saw many spectators at the arena thanks also to the good results achieved by the team”.
How useful was that three-year experience in the Veronese club in your human and sporting growth?
“I grew a lot in those three years both as a stimulating player, because we worked so hard, and as a human being because putting yourself on the line every day is something that helps you grow. I think I’ve matured a lot, it’s been a very important part of my life.”
How much is this match between Verona and Siena worth?
“For me it is a particular match. I play against my former club and going back to Verona will undoubtedly be exciting. I’m very happy to do it and to see so many guys with whom I have an exceptional relationship”.
Siena arrives at this match after a match lost at PalaEstra against Taranto: what can we say about the moment of the Tuscan team and how and with what sensations did the group experience the week of training?
“We are going through a delicate moment. We are at the bottom of the classification, we need to find a push to go back up. The group initially lived this week with a bit of regret, but we quickly understood that the only important thing is to keep the whole team together and come out of this situation together. We are ready to take on this challenge and the races to come all together, helping each other, which is the only way to get out of the swampy areas at the bottom of the table. Whoever divides loses, whoever stays united has much more chances of winning”.
What do you think of this year’s team from Verona?
“They are doing very well, they are having a great championship. They’ve made important signings, they have very strong strikers, I’m thinking of Keita and Sapozhkov, then Mozic and all the others. They are an extremely competitive team and at home they take advantage of the enthusiasm of the fans. It will be a sporting battle, we will have to be ready to be patient because they will start very strong. And then we’ll have to play the match, the pitch will decide how it goes and the team that lasts the longest will be rewarded.”
Lorenzo Cortesia, what are the first memories that come to mind when you think of Siena?
“It was my first season in the Superlega, so I carry it in my heart. It didn’t go well in terms of results, but I carry with me a beautiful memory “.
You played in Siena in what was the only year, before the current one, for the Sienese team in the Superlega: what do you remember about your teammates, the club and overall that year?
“My memory is of a serious club capable of working well, which deserves to be in the top flight. I was lucky enough to play alongside champions like Marouf, Gladyr, Hernandez, Giovi, Ishikawa, Maruotti and many others. The list would be very long. I can say that I have had some excellent teammates.”
How much did that sporting season influence your sporting and volleyball growth?
“It was a year that greatly influenced my sporting career, because from there I understood that I could make volleyball my job and fulfill a dream. I gained great awareness. I came from a youth reality like Club Italia and I got to confront myself with great champions, training every day with them, it allowed me to grow a lot”.
How much is this match between Verona and Siena worth?
“This match is worth a lot both for us and for Siena, who need points and will play at their best. We play every game as if it were a final and we always aim to win. Only with this mentality can we obtain great satisfaction”.
Currently occupying the fourth position in the standings: where can the Veronese team arrive?
“The classification is very short. Apart from Perugia, the other teams are enclosed in a handful of points, so the classification can vary from one day to the next. For this reason we have to maintain the attitude as if every match is decisive, because in fact it is. Our team has a lot of talent and right now we are working on the winning mentality that we must acquire more and more. We can’t give away anything and only look at our growth”.
What do you think of this year’s Sienese team?
“In my opinion, Siena has not yet expressed its maximum potential. It’s a new team, so it’s normal at the beginning to have mechanisms that don’t work at their best, but they have very experienced players. I am convinced that he has all the credentials to make an excellent championship”.