President Sergio Mattarella and
Premier Mario Draghi on Monday separately received Italy's men's
and women's volleyball teams who recently won their respective
European championships in Belgrade and Katowice.
Greeting them at the presidential Quirinale Palace, he said "you
have underscored how to pay homage to the Italian shirt.
"I thank you for this, and for the significance you have given
to your victories."
Mattarella said that in a country recovering from the COVID
emergency, "it is very important to have signs of recovery after
the pandemic".
Italy enjoyed a golden summer of sporting success by winning the
European soccer championships and notching record medal hauls at
the Olympics, including sprinter Marcelo Jacobs and high-jumper
Gianmarco Tamberi, and the Paralympics, including talismanic
fencer Bebe Vio.
"It has been an unforgettable summer for Italian sport", said
Draghi.
He said the two teams had "overcome defeats and fears and are a
lesson to us all".
The PM added: "What pride in Italian volleyball, what great
months for Italian sport".
Draghi noted that volleyball was the second most popular sport
in Italy behind the national obsession, calcio.
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