Before Angiolino Frigoni was appointed head coach of Alas Pilipinas Men in 2024, the decorated mentor had already shaped the next generation of Italian volleyball through his work with the Azzurri’s under-21 men’s squad.
Frigoni’s two-year stint with the Italian U-21 team became one of the crowning achievements of his storied coaching career. The 71-year-old tactician guided the young Azzurri — anchored by rising star Alessandro Michieletto — to their maiden World Championship in the 2021 edition of the tournament, held in Italy and Bulgaria.
Under Frigoni’s mentorship, Michieletto blossomed into one of volleyball’s brightest prospects. The coach’s expertise at the youth level ensured a seamless transition from the junior ranks to the senior team — efforts that bore fruit when Italy claimed its fourth Men’s World Championship a year later.
“For sure, with Angiolino I have a lot of beautiful memories because we won the World Championship under-21 and a silver in the European Championship,” Michieletto told members of the press after Italy secured a Round of 16 berth in the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship with a sweep of Ukraine on Thursday evening at the SMART Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
“But they were two fantastic years with him where I learned a lot, also from [Julio] Velasco. I want to meet Angiolino in Manila to hug him and talk because it’s been a long time since I last saw him.”
Mirroring his work in Italy, Frigoni’s vision for Philippine volleyball faced its own challenges.
From back-to-back fifth-place finishes in the SEA Games, to missed podium opportunities in the SEA V.League, to a winless campaign in the 2025 AVC Men’s Volleyball Champions League — all leading up to the nation’s historic hosting of the World Championship.
Yet when the stakes were highest, Frigoni’s guidance shone. Alas Men stunned defending African champions Egypt to secure the Philippines’ first-ever World Championship triumph and keep their Round of 16 dreams alive last Tuesday.
Two days later, the team came agonizingly close to advancing again after World No. 16 Iran edged out Alas Men in a thrilling five-set battle — proving that the Philippines belonged on the global stage, despite qualifying only as the host nation.
Michieletto, Frigoni’s former protégé, praised the Philippines’ breakthrough run and lauded his mentor’s steady hand and strategic vision.
“I think that they will be very happy because they won a fantastic game yesterday. And today they play against Iran, a very good Asian team. So I think for Philippine fans and Philippine volleyball, it’s fantastic to see a team that plays point by point and only loses in a tiebreaker to a great team. I think Angiolino is a great coach,” Michieletto said.
“Yeah, I think he changed volleyball here because he worked with incredible players. So I think Filipinos need a coach like Angiolino to begin the rise of volleyball here.”
#WATCH: “With Angiolino, I have a lot of beautiful memories”
Italian outside hitter Alessandro Michieletto recalls his time with Alas Pilipinas Men head coach Angiolino Frigoni 🇮🇹🏐
📹 @ErnestTuazon /Tiebreaker Times pic.twitter.com/ajSy2e5aK6
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) September 18, 2025
