Italy will start the preparations for the European Championships in Belgrade in two weeks. The first part of the preparations will take place in Ostia between November 23rd and 26th. After that, the team will regather in Naples in mid-December
Alessandro Campagna will continue to guide the team as a head coach (there have been rumors that Campagna could leave the bench due to disagreements with players). However, Campagna continues his mission in the Italian national team. But there have been changes both on the roster and on the coaching staff.
Campagna called up 26 players. Among them are nine who participated in the 2025 World Championships. Those who are missing from the Singapore World Championships roster are captain Francesco Di Fulvio, Giacomo Cannella, Nicholas Presciutti, Gianmarco Nicosia, Luca Damonte, and Alessandro Velotto.
The team has a number of young players on the extended roster, but an experienced goalkeeper, Marco Del Lungo, returns after missing the World Championships.
The Italian Swimming Federation has announced two new appointments in the coaching staff. Legendary goalkeeper Stefano Tempesti, who retired this year, has been named the sporting director of the national team. Additionally, Maurizio Mirarchi, formerly the coordinator of the women’s youth and U20 national teams, will serve as the new technical assistant, taking over from Christian Presciutti. Presciutti has been confirmed as the head coach of the men’s U20 national team.
“We have about fifty matches ahead of us to shape and consolidate the team that will face the 2027-2028 two-year period with the aspirations of winning medals at the World Championships in Budapest and the Los Angeles Olympics”, Alessandro Campagna said for the website of the Italian Swimming Federation and added:
“The project is well-defined; then the performances of the individuals, both those called up and those not, will be evaluated to make additions and changes. I expect full participation, enthusiasm, and a spirit of cohesion: characteristics that in the past have allowed us to win World Championships, Olympic medals, and matches that on paper would have been difficult.”
Players called up for the preparations November 23 – 26
Tommaso Baggi Necchi, Alessandro Balzarini, Mario Del Basso, Vincenzo Dolce, Filippo Ferrero, Tommaso Gianazza, Stefano Guerrato (all Brescia), Mattia Rocchino (Posillipo), Edoardo Di Somma (Ferencvaros), Francesco De Michelis (Olympic Roma), Alessandro Carnesecchi (Ortigia), Michele Mezzarobba (Trieste), Francesco Cassia, Francesco Condemi, Matteo Iocchi Gratta, Andrea Mladossich, Andrea Patchaliev (all Pro Recco), Andrea Condemi, Lorenzo Bruni, Marco Del Lungo, Alessandro Gullotta, Davide Occhione (all Savona), Mattia Antonucci (Roma Vis Nova), Tomas Alfonso Pozo, Francesco Massaro (bothTelimar Palermo), Federico Panerai (Sabadell).
