Orlean Invest and its chairman, Gabriele Volpi, have announced their painful decision to step back from managing the Pro Recco water polo team. This move is part of a broader strategy to diversify the group’s initiatives. Volpi and Orlean Invest hope that a local entrepreneur or water polo enthusiast will take up the legacy, managing the team’s future and continuing its success.
Gabriele Volpi has not resided in Italy for many years, focusing his interests and activities outside the country. Pro Recco remained the sole exception, a team he has always held dear. Volpi’s personal affection for the club led him to assume ownership during a challenging period in its history. Under his leadership, Pro Recco embarked on an ambitious program that transformed it into the most decorated club in team sports worldwide.
The management of Pro Recco has been characterized by stringent professionalism and a managerial approach, entrusted to sector managers like President Maurizio Felugo. This approach has moved away from the traditional patronage model, resulting in a financially and structurally robust organization ready for a new era.
“It has been a magnificent journey,” said Gabriele Volpi. “It started when I was just a boy, with coach Piero Pizzo, brother of the Olympic champion Eraldo, acting as a second father to me. We have won a lot, we have won everything. Unfortunately, people are willing to forgive anything except success. I have personally experienced the effects of two of the most universal and insuppressible emotions: envy and jealousy. Despite this, I felt the moral obligation to give back to my homeland the best in sports, bringing Pro Recco to the highest global levels. It is now time for Pro Recco’s destiny to be independent of me. I believe it is right that in life, teams, like people and companies, learn to stand on their own.”
In the 19 years since Volpi took ownership in 2005, Pro Recco has achieved extraordinary success, winning eight Champions League titles out of eleven in its history, losing only one national league title and two cup titles. Orlean Invest, having divested all past sports participations in recent years, now focuses on activities with significant social impact. For Orlean Invest, the moral legacy of Pro Recco must translate into something tangible beyond the team’s extraordinary achievements.
As Pro Recco embarks on this new chapter, the question arises: what lies ahead for this storied club? Will a new benefactor emerge to continue its legacy of excellence? The future holds new challenges and opportunities for Pro Recco, and the sports world will be watching closely.
