Italy - Serie A1 2023/24

    I don't expect Zhu-herbotts duo to play even in CL. It would be a suicide for reception lineup

    Quote from VBdiamond

    That Bergamo team coasted 25% of what Imoco spends every season.


    Anyway, if Robinson and Plummer aren't huge talents, I don't who is a talent anymore. :)

    At the beginning of the 21st century Bergamo had a high budget and played here, for example, Gruen, Sokolova?, Zhukova etc. The rivalry between Bergamo and Perugia lasted until approximately 2006/2007. Perugia fell apart and then Bergamo had more and more problems. Until 2010 Bergamo relied on local players and managed to win the Champions League regularly. In 2010 Bergamo defeated Fenerbahce 3-2 in Champions League final, which had a much higher budget - Gamova played there at that time. Around 2008 Feberbahce wanted to give a contract of $1 million to Piccinini but the Italian refused. Already then there were visible trends that clubs paid much more in Turkey than in Ita.

    Quote from Copravolley22

    At the beginning of the 21st century Bergamo had a high budget and played here, for example, Gruen, Sokolova?, Zhukova etc. The rivalry between Bergamo and Perugia lasted until approximately 2006/2007. Perugia fell apart and then Bergamo had more and more problems. Until 2010 Bergamo relied on local players and managed to win the Champions League regularly. In 2010 Bergamo defeated Fenerbahce 3-2 in Champions League final, which had a much higher budget - Gamova played there at that time. Around 2008 Feberbahce wanted to give a contract of $1 million to Piccinini but the Italian refused. Already then there were visible trends that clubs paid much more in Turkey than in Ita.

    I know it very well. I never missed a game.


    That Bergamo team coasted like a middle level team of the last season. That Bergamo team coasted like 25/30% of what Imoco, Scandicci and Monza spend currently.


    Turkey was just starting to steal the foreign stars of Serie A1. And the salaries raised in Italy as well in order to stay competitive in the following years. Till Villa Cortese showed up, the salaries weren't high at all. NT players were earning like average Serie B players from football and there was a lot of complaining about it.


    As far as I remember, Eczacibasi offered 300000 euro in order to steal Piccinini from Bergamo and she said no (and stayed there for less money). She was one of the best players of the world, but she was earning less than what average players in her position earn nowdays. The best outside hitters in the last years are close or over 1000000, which is 3 times more than what a top player used to earn at that time. Even Asian salaries were much lower 15 years ago...

    Where could you watch Italian women's league matches in the US in the early 21st century? In the days before the Internet, this was probably a difficult think to do?

    Quote from VBdiamond

    I live in Italy. :gone:


    The difficult task was following my beloved NCAA. :D

    I was born in Poland but I could watch Serie A on raisport in that time. World Championships in 2002 Polsat Sport was broadcasting. Back then, I was more interested in men's volleyball, although I remember Euro 1999 in Italy: Karpol, young Piccinini, Cacciatori. The match in the 1/2 between Ita-Cro and Jelić was history and, as you can see, it also happened that one player was able to win the match. Overall, it was a shock for me that the Italians won the World Cup in 2002, and then that, for example, they lost the Euro 2003 to Bulgaria. That team was very uneven. In 2003, Poland won the Euro thanks to the total defeat of Italy against Bulgaria :(



    I thought you are from the USA :)

    Bonitta did a great thing in 2002 but in my opinion he was too cocky and confident. He was not suitable to coach the national team and that is why later there was a conflict with the best players from the national team. Personally, I think Barbolini had better character and he was the best Italian coach in the history of the Italian women's team. He also had success with Perugia.

    This is natural given the phenomenon of "inflation", although its only partially explains the higher salaries. Another factor is the rise of oligarchs and so on in oil-rich countries such as Azerbadjan and Russia who used their funds to finance women´s volleyball teams to an extent hitherto not seen pre-2005 or so. It was teams such as Kazan, Baku and Moscow, who invested like one million dollar per season for Gamova around 2011, which kind of raised the bar for accepted salaries among the elite and hence forced the Italian, Chinese and Turkish teams to catch up with them. In other words, one might say that the Russian teams gave female volley a steroid-boost through their extreme injections.

    Quote from serdar

    I don't expect Zhu-herbotts duo to play even in CL. It would be a suicide for reception lineup

    is herbots even a bad receiver ? I feel like people just assume she is because she’s great on offense but she’s quite well rounded I thought ?

    Herbots and Zhu are not bad receivers. Yes they are not Cate Bosetti but they are not terrible ones as people are assuming.

    Quote from serdar

    I don't expect Zhu-herbotts duo to play even in CL. It would be a suicide for reception lineup

    Because the other 2 option on the outside hitter position, Vilani and Ruddins, are good receivers you would say:aww:

    Quote from Madden54

    is herbots even a bad receiver ? I feel like people just assume she is because she’s great on offense but she’s quite well rounded I thought ?

    She is a bad receiver. There's no assumption, anyone who watched a few Belgium nt matches would know. Indeed she is even worse receiver in clubs because in NT Celine van Gestel is covering her at reception a lot but Zhu won't be covering her at reception. On the other hand Zhu improved her reception over the years so I wouldn't call her a bad receiver but matching her with a bad receiver like Herbots is not a good idea.

    Quote from Let's go orange

    Because the other 2 option on the outside hitter position, Vilani and Ruddins, are good receivers you would say:aww:

    Ruddins is as bad but villani is at least local so I think she will play next to Zhu

    Quote from Kostlich

    what time conegliano- milano match today?


    And if anyone can provide a link. Greatly appreciated

    they are playing against each other ?!

    This is one of the best season ever for Seria A.
    I literally can’t guess who is gone be fave this season…


    Milano, Scandicci and Conegliano has amazing teams this season. Novara is right behind I don’t think that they can win some CUPs but they can surprise this 3 teams in regular part of the season for sure.


    I’m cheering for Conegliano, and I hope Lanier is gone shine next to amazing team mates and that She is gone take Plummer starting position. Plummer for me is to unstable. Sometimes She can be at 60-70% in attack and to be MVP, but right in next match She is gone destroy her team….


    But Scandicci and Milano looks never better especially Milano. This team looks like they can win every CUP this season especially if Egonu reaches her peak. But for me the most interesting team is Scandicci I can’t wait to watch Carol, Zhu, Ognjenovic together. This 3 are legends of volleyball.