Italy falls to Finland in EuroVolley quarters as Turin crowd watches upset unfold
Italy's European championship campaign ended at the PalaVela in Torino last night, with Finland taking a 3-2 tie-break victory that sends the hosts home and the visitors into a semi-final against France.
Italy lost 2-3 to Finland after two and a half hours of play, with set scores of 25-21, 26-28, 16-25, 25-20, 13-15. The result eliminates the world champions from the tournament they co-organised, while Finland reaches its first European semi-final.
What happened on court
Italy opened the match in control. Mattia Bottolo scored the first point and the home side built a lead that carried the first set 25-21. The PalaVela, filled with more than 8,000 spectators and generating gate revenue of nearly €500,000, pushed the team forward.
The second set shifted momentum. Finland, led by Jokela who scored ten points in that set alone, exploited a weak Italian block and an attack that misfired at key moments. Italy saved a set point, earned two of its own, but Finland took it 26-28.
The psychological blow carried into the third set. Italy fell behind 3-10 and never recovered. Serve errors plagued the team throughout — several balls failed to clear the net. Finland had eight set points and closed 16-25.
Italy steadied in the fourth. A 5-2 start and key points from Lavia and an ace from Sanguinetti levelled the match at 25-20, forcing a deciding set.
The tie-break began the same way: Italy led 5-2. Then the collapse came. Finland chipped away, took the lead at 12-13, and a final attack error from Yuri Romanò sealed the match at 13-15.
What the coaches and players said
Ferdinando De Giorgi, Italy's head coach, did not search for excuses.
"We have to recognise Finland's merits. We managed to get the match back on track and when we had to deliver the final blow, we failed. We can't blame anyone, we had to convert despite the bad day."
Captain Simone Giannelli told Sky the issue was technical execution, not attitude.
"We simply couldn't play a match at the right level. It's not about a wrong attitude. We give credit to Finland. We made too many technical errors, the rest is talk."
The scale of the upset
This result marks the first time Finland has beaten Italy in 48 years in senior men's volleyball. Italy entered the match ranked second in the world, Finland 16th — a gap that made the outcome a significant shock.
For Italy, the defeat brings an early end to a tournament run that had been flawless in the group stage and included a 3-0 win over Denmark in the round of 16. Instead of advancing to the final four in Milano, Italy now watches from the sidelines.
The numbers behind the loss
Technical analysis tells the story. Italy's serve caused numerous errors — many attempts failed to clear the net. The block produced only 10 points total, with four coming in the fourth set alone. Reception ran at a 35% positivity rate, well below what the team typically needs to run its offence.
Yuri Romanò led Italy's scoring with 20 points, but a missed attack in the tie-break became the final error. Alessandro Michieletto, a key player, was still working back from injury and not at full strength — a factor that weakened the attack throughout the tournament.
What happens next
Finland now faces France, managed by Italian volleyball legend Andrea Giani, in the semi-finals. On the other side of the bracket, Slovenia beat Belgium 3-1 in Torino and Poland defeated Germany 3-0 in Sofia.
No official statement has come from the Italian Volleyball Federation regarding staff changes or strategic reviews. De Giorgi was confirmed as head coach until February 2026.
Juventus figures including former player and coach Antonio Conte, director Giorgio Chiellini and current player Andrea Cambiaso attended the match, part of a crowd that created a major-occasion atmosphere before watching the home side exit.
