After leading defending champion Italy to an emotional semifinal triumph over Poland, Yuri Romano is already shifting his focus to recovery and preparation as the Azzurri gear up to face Bulgaria in the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship 2025 Final this Sunday.
Italy capitalized on the absence of Bartosz Kurek to stun the Poles in straight sets, 25-21, 25-22, 25-23, securing their second consecutive appearance in the gold medal match at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Romano admitted to shedding a tear after the emotional victory but emphasized the importance of quickly regaining composure as Italy prepares for the final against a young and dangerous Bulgarian team.
“It was an incredible feeling. I cried a little because the emotion was really strong. But now, we’re just playing the final,” said the 28-year-old opposite hitter.
“Now we have to try to reset and rest a bit. There’s not much time, so we need to scout the other team and be ready for another great match,” he added.
Romano powered Italy with a game-high 15 points on 12 attacks, two kill blocks, and one ace in the one-hour, 25-minute win over Poland.
Team captain Simone Giannelli, meanwhile, stressed that defeating the world’s top-ranked team does not automatically make Italy the best, urging his teammates to stay cautious ahead of the showdown with Bulgaria.
“They are the best team in the world. We are not the best team in the world now just because we won against them. We were good tonight — maybe a little bit better than Poland — but Poland remains the best team in the world, I think,” said the reigning MVP and Best Setter of the tournament.
“They have a lot of players who can step in and push hard. Tonight, we focused on what we had to do on the court, and we managed this win,” he added.
While acknowledging the impact of Bulgaria’s star duo, Aleksandar and Moni Nikolov, Giannelli stressed that Italy must prepare for the entire Bulgarian squad, not just the brothers.
“Bulgaria — yes, of course, we have to focus on the Nikolov brothers because they are amazing. But they play with six or seven others, including the libero, and they make a lot of tactical changes. Today, for example, they changed something,” he said.
“I want to give respect to the entire Bulgarian team, not just two incredible players. Every player on their squad deserves respect because they play as a unit. Volleyball is a team sport — it’s not tennis. Tomorrow will be very difficult because they are playing extremely well. We just have to maintain our level, focus on our own game, and be present on the court like we were tonight.”
#WATCH: Simone Giannelli and Italy stay wary of the entire Bulgaria squad, not just the Nikolov brothers, ahead of the final 🇮🇹 🏐
📹 @jonashdcd /Tiebreaker Times#MWCH2025 pic.twitter.com/d6az0KhLCb
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) September 27, 2025
