Julio Velasco discusses Lionel Messi's retirement and sports fandom

During his appearance at the Trento Sport Festival, Italian women's national volleyball coach Julio Velasco commented on Lionel Messi's upcoming retirement from the Argentine national team. Velasco noted that while Messi's farewell in Buenos Aires will be a massive celebration, many fans who now praise him as a ‘semi-god’ previously insulted him fiercely following Argentina's Copa America losses.

Velasco also addressed the nature of sports fandom and the dangers of online toxicity. He argued that true fans should support their teams by shouting encouragement even during poor performances rather than whistling in disapproval. He further highlighted the issue of online aggression, noting that the anonymity of social media allows for aggression that exceeds all limits, sometimes causing athletes to fear making mistakes.

Additionally, Velasco expressed pride in his volleyball players following their European Championship final loss to Turkey and praised the mental strength of Italian athletes such as Jannik Sinner and Kimi Antonelli.