Italy men's national water polo team
The Italian national water polo team represents Italy in men's international water polo competitions and is controlled by Federnuoto (the Italian Aquatics Federation). The national men's team has the nickname of "Settebello".
FINA code | ITA |
---|---|
Nickname(s) | Il Settebello |
Association | Italian Swimming Federation |
Confederation | LEN (Europe) |
Head coach | Alessandro Campagna |
Asst coach | Amedeo Pomilio |
Captain | Pietro Figlioli |
FINA ranking (since 2008) | |
Current | 4 (as of February 2020) |
Highest | 2 (2012) |
Lowest | 9 (2008, 2009, 2010) |
Olympic Games | |
Appearances | 20 (first in 1920) |
Best result | |
World Championship | |
Appearances | 18 (first in 1973) |
Best result | |
World Cup | |
Appearances | 11 (first in 1979) |
Best result | |
World League | |
Appearances | 17 (first in 2002) |
Best result | |
European Championship | |
Appearances | 32 (first in 1927) |
Best result | |
Europa Cup | |
Appearances | 1 (first in 2018) |
Best result | |
Mediterranean Games | |
Appearances | 17 (first in 1955) |
Best result | |
Media | |
Website | federnuoto.it |
The Italian men's water polo team has won 8 Olympic medals, 7 World Championships, 5 World Cup, 11 European Championships medals and 3 World League medals, making them one of the most successful men's water polo teams in the world. They have won a combined eleven championships in those four competitions, with the World League being the only competition which Italy has yet to win.
History
Water Polo became popular in Italy soon after 1899, when an exhibition match was played at the Bath of Diana in Milan, with the match being described in the press as: "like football but more tiring and difficult, requiring energy and strength beyond the ordinary".[1]
Although a domestic league was soon established, the Italian national water polo team did not first compete at the Olympic Games until the 1920 Olympics, in Antwerp, Belgium, where they were forced to forfeit their first round match, before losing 5–1 to Greece and being eliminated.
The national team first fulfilled their potential at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, England, when they went undefeated for the whole tournament to claim their first gold medal in the discipline.
The Italian team reclaimed the title of Olympic champions in front of a home crowd at the 1960 Olympics in Rome, Italy. Italy won their third Olympic title at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, beating the hosts and tournament favourites Spain 9–8 after extra time in a thrilling final. Only Hungary (9), and Great Britain (4) have more Olympic titles.
The Italian national side have also won four World Championships, in 1978, 1994, 2011 and 2019, and the World Cup once in 1993. Italy also claimed their first European Championship in 1947.
Competitive record
Competition | Total | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Olympic Games | 3 | 2 | 3 | 8 |
World Championship | 4 | 2 | 1 | 7 |
European Championship | 3 | 2 | 6 | 11 |
Universiade | 4 | 3 | 4 | 11 |
Mediterranean Games | 6 | 6 | 2 | 14 |
Total | 21 | 15 | 16 | 52 |
Results
Olympic Games
Year[2] | Position | Pld | W | D | L |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Did not participate | |||||
10th | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
11th | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
Did not participate | |||||
7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | ||
8 | 6 | 0 | 2 | ||
4th | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | |
6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | ||
4th | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | |
4th | 9 | 6 | 1 | 2 | |
6th | 6 | 3 | 2 | 3 | |
8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | ||
8th | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | |
7th | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | |
7th | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | |
7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | ||
8 | 7 | 0 | 1 | ||
5th | 8 | 6 | 0 | 2 | |
8th | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | |
9th | 8 | 4 | 0 | 4 | |
8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | ||
8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | ||
Qualified | |||||
Total | 21/27 |
World Championship
- 1973 – 4th place[2]
- 1975 –
Bronze medal - 1978 –
Gold medal - 1982 – 9th place
- 1986 –
Silver medal - 1991 – 6th place
- 1994 –
Gold medal - 1998 – 5th place
- 2001 – 4th place
- 2003 –
Silver medal - 2005 – 8th place
- 2007 – 5th place
- 2009 – 11th place
- 2011 –
Gold medal - 2013 – 4th place
- 2015 – 4th place
- 2017 – 6th place
- 2019 –
Gold medal
FINA World League
- 2002 – Semi-final round[2]
- 2003 –
Silver medal - 2004 – 4th place
- 2005 – Semi-final round
- 2006 – Preliminary round
- 2007 – Preliminary round
- 2008 – 7th place
- 2009 – 5th place
- 2010 – Preliminary round
- 2011 –
Silver medal - 2012 –
Bronze medal - 2013 – Preliminary round
- 2014 – Preliminary round
- 2015 – 7th place
- 2016 – 4th place
- 2017 –
Silver medal - 2018 – Did not participate
- 2019 – Preliminary round
European Championship
- 1927 – 12th place
- 1934 – 10th place
- 1938 – 5th place
- 1947 –
Gold medal - 1950 – 4th place
- 1954 –
Bronze medal - 1958 – 4th place
- 1962 – 8th place
- 1966 – 4th place
- 1970 – 4th place
- 1974 – 5th place
- 1977 –
Bronze medal - 1981 – 6th place
- 1983 – 7th place
- 1985 – 4th place
- 1987 –
Bronze medal - 1989 –
Bronze medal - 1991 – 4th place
- 1993 –
Gold medal - 1995 –
Gold medal - 1997 – 6th place
- 1999 –
Bronze medal - 2001 –
Silver medal - 2003 – 9th place
- 2006 – 5th place
- 2008 – 5th place
- 2010 –
Silver medal - 2012 – 4th place
- 2014 –
Bronze medal - 2016 – 6th place
- 2018 – 4th place
- 2020 – 6th place
Europa Cup
- 2018 –
Bronze medal
Mediterranean Games
- 1951 – Unknown
- 1955 –
Gold medal - 1959 –
Silver medal - 1963 –
Gold medal - 1967 –
Silver medal - 1971 –
Silver medal - 1975 –
Gold medal - 1979 –
Silver medal - 1983 –
Bronze medal - 1987 –
Gold medal - 1991 –
Gold medal - 1993 –
Gold medal - 1997 – 4th place
- 2001 –
Silver medal - 2005 –
Silver medal - 2009 –
Bronze medal - 2013 – 4th place
- 2018 – 5th place
Current squad
Roster for the 2020 Men's European Water Polo Championship.[3]
Head coach: Alessandro Campagna
No | Name | Pos. | L/R | Date of birth | Height | Weight | Caps | Club |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Marco Del Lungo | GK | R | 1 March 1990 | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | 100 kg (220 lb) | 175 | |
2 | Francesco Di Fulvio | W | R | 15 August 1993 | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) | 82 kg (181 lb) | 177 | |
3 | Stefano Luongo | W | R | 5 January 1990 | 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) | 84 kg (185 lb) | 153 | |
4 | Pietro Figlioli (C) | FP | R | 29 May 1984 | 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in) | 97 kg (214 lb) | 254 | |
5 | Andrea Fondelli | W | R | 27 February 1994 | 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in) | 90 kg (200 lb) | 129 | |
6 | Alessandro Velotto | DF | R | 12 February 1995 | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | 79 kg (174 lb) | 142 | |
7 | Vincenzo Renzuto | DF | R | 8 April 1993 | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) | 76 kg (168 lb) | 88 | |
8 | Gonzalo Echenique | W | L | 27 April 1990 | 1.94 m (6 ft 4 in) | 96 kg (212 lb) | 46 | |
9 | Niccolò Figari | DF | R | 24 January 1988 | 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) | 91 kg (201 lb) | 156 | |
10 | Michaël Bodegas | CB | R | 3 May 1987 | 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in) | 102 kg (225 lb) | 110 | |
11 | Matteo Aicardi | CF | R | 19 April 1986 | 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in) | 104 kg (229 lb) | 255 | |
12 | Vincenzo Dolce | FP | R | 11 May 1995 | 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) | 92 kg (203 lb) | 42 | |
13 | Gianmarco Nicosia | GK | R | 12 February 1998 | 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in) | 93 kg (205 lb) | 46 |
See also
References
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 5 January 2011. Retrieved 20 May 2013.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) History of Italian Water Polo
- "HistoFINA – Water polo medalists and statistics – Download" (PDF). fina.org. FINA. September 2017. pp. 5, 15, 25, 45. Archived (PDF) from the original on 28 May 2019. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
- "2020 European Championships roster" (PDF). wp2020budapest.microplustiming.com. p. 8. Retrieved 14 January 2020.