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Turkey defeats Italy men's volleyball 3-0 in Bergamo test match
Italy's senior men's volleyball team suffered a 3‑0 loss to Turkey in a BPER test match at Bergamo’s ChorusLife Arena, attended by roughly 3,000 fans. The sets ended 26‑24, 25‑23 and 25‑21. Coach Ferdinando De Giorgi noted the defeat highlighted areas for improvement ahead of the upcoming Volleyball Nations League (VNL).
Earlier in the preparation phase, Italy secured a 3‑0 win over Turkey in Cavalese and a hard‑fought 3‑2 victory over Belgium in Verona, where Luca Porro contributed 20 points and the side rallied from a set deficit in the fourth. De Giorgi praised the team's resilience and the integration of several young players.
Meanwhile, the Italy women's national team, coached by Julio Velasco, is set to begin the 2026 VNL in Brasília, Brazil, from 3 June to 7 June. The squad of 14 athletes will face Bulgaria, the Netherlands, Turkey and Brazil in Pool 2, with matches streamed on DAZN. The federation also confirmed ongoing training camps for the women's B team and the Under‑22 side.
Overall, the recent friendlies serve as final checkpoints before the Italian squads embark on the VNL schedule, which also forms part of the buildup toward the European Championships and Olympic qualification.