Andrea Giani

Andrea Giani
Andrea Giani
Personal information
Born	22 April 1970 (age 54); Naples, Italy
Height	1.96 m (6 ft 5 in)
Coaching information
Current team	France; ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle
Previous teams coached
2007–2008; 2008–2012; 2013–2016; 2015–2016; 2017–2021; 2017–2019; 2019–2023; 2022–; 2024–	Modena Volley; M. Roma Volley; Calzedonia Verona; Slovenia; Germany; Power Volley Milano; Modena Volley; France; ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle
Volleyball information
Position	Middle blocker
Number	13 (national team)
Career
1982–1985; 1985–1996; 1996–2007	Pallavolo Sabaudia; Pallavolo Parma; Modena Volley
National team
1988–2005	Italy (474)
Honours
Men's volleyball
Representing Italy
Olympic Games
FIVB World Championship
FIVB World Cup
FIVB World Grand Champions Cup
FIVB World League
Goodwill Games
CEV European Championship
Head coach Slovenia
CEV European Championship
Head coach Germany
CEV European Championship
Head coach France
Olympic Games
FIVB Nations League

Andrea Giani (born 22 April 1970) is an Italian professional volleyball coach and former player who serves as head coach for the France national team and the Polish PlusLiga team, ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle.^[1]

Giani achieved numerous successes in the 1990s, including three World Championships with his national team. He was an all-rounder able to play both as an outside hitter and as a middle blocker, but he played several times as an opposite spiker too.

In 2008, Giani was inducted into the International Volleyball Hall of Fame.^[2]

Career

Giani's father, Dario, was a rower who took part in the 1964 Summer Olympics for Italy. After having trained with his father, now a rowing coach, Andrea tried for brief period as a football player. In 1985 the 14-year-old Giani began his career as a volleyball player for the local team of Sabaudia, in the Southern Latium, where he lived. Soon news about his qualities spread and attracted attention from the two main volleyball clubs of Italy of the period: Panini Modena and Santal/Maxicono Parma.

Giani was chosen to play for the latter, initially with the junior team under Gian Paolo Montali as coach. Giani's first final for scudetto in the Parma major team was in 1987. Parma was defeated, as well as in the following seasons.

Giani won his first scudetto in 1990, which was to be followed by four more. In the meantime, in 1988, Giani had scored against Finland his first cap for Italy. His career with the Azzurri colours ended in 2005 after a total of 474 caps (record), making him one of the most renowned players in Italy and the world for his excellent technical and jumping capabilities. With Italy Giani won three World Championship titles in a row (1990, 1994 and 1998) and four European Championship titles (1993, 1995, 1999, 2003),^[3] and many others. He is a five-time Olympian who won three medals at the Olympic Games but his team never won the gold medal, even though Italy was generally considered one of the favourites. He won silver medals at the 1996^[4] and 2004 Summer Olympics, and a bronze medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics.^[2] He also played at the 1988 and 1992 Summer Olympics.^[2]

During his career Giani became renowned for his polyvalence, starting as a middle blocker, who turned into a power attacker and passer. Before Modena, Giani played in Parma 1985–1996 and won three Italian Championship Serie A and Club World Championship.

After having quit the national team, Giani played for Cimone Modena until 2008 and won two CEV Champions League. He took the reins of the team as manager starting from season 2007–2008. His nickname is Giangio and was the season winner CEV Challenge Cup 2008. In 2009–2010 Giani won Championship Serie A2 with M. Roma Volley.

Coaching

Giani became the manager of the Slovenia men's national volleyball team in May 2015.^[5] A few months later, he led Slovenia to victory in the European Volleyball League, which secured them a spot at the 2016 FIVB Volleyball World League. In October, Slovenia unexpectedly won their first medal in a major volleyball tournament after reaching the final of the 2015 European Championship, where they were defeated by France. In 2017, Giani replaced Vital Heynen as head coach of the Germany men's national volleyball team.^[6]

Honours

As a player

CEV European Champions Cup
- 1996–97 – with Modena Volley
- 1997–98 – with Modena Volley

FIVB Club World Championship
- Parma 1989 – with Maxicono Parma

CEV Cup
- 1987–88 – with Maxicono Parma
- 1988–89 – with Maxicono Parma
- 1989–90 – with Maxicono Parma

CEV Challenge Cup
- 1991–92 – with Maxicono Parma
- 1994–95 – with Maxicono Parma
- 2003–04 – with Modena Volley

Domestic
- 1989–90 Italian Cup, with Maxicono Parma
- 1989–90 Italian Championship, with Maxicono Parma
- 1991–92 Italian Cup, with Maxicono Parma
- 1991–92 Italian Championship, with Maxicono Parma
- 1992–93 Italian Championship, with Maxicono Parma
- 1996–97 Italian Cup, with Modena Volley
- 1996–97 Italian Championship, with Modena Volley
- 1997–98 Italian SuperCup, with Modena Volley
- 1997–98 Italian Cup, with Modena Volley
- 2001–02 Italian Championship, with Modena Volley

As a coach

CEV Cup
- 2022–23 – with Modena Volley

CEV Challenge Cup
- 2007–08 – with Modena Volley
- 2015–16 – with Calzedonia Verona

Individual awards

1994: FIVB World League – Most valuable player
1995: FIVB World Cup – Most valuable player
1998: FIVB World League – Best blocker

State awards

2000: Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
2004: Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic

References

^ "Andrea Giani nowym trenerem ZAKSY". ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle (in Polish). 11 June 2024. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Andrea Giani". International Volleyball Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 23 February 2024. Retrieved 5 September 2024.
^ "Andrea Giani". Olympedia. Archived from the original on 29 April 2024. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
^ Rhoden, William C. (5 August 1996). "The Dutch At Last Catch Up With Italy". The New York Times. p. C5. Retrieved 5 September 2024. (subscription required)
^ "Legendarni Andrea Giani na čelu slovenske odbojkarske reprezentance". Delo (in Slovenian). 16 March 2015. Archived from the original on 9 March 2022. Retrieved 5 September 2024.
^ "GER M: Giani reaches agreement with German federation?". WorldofVolley. 25 January 2017. Archived from the original on 8 March 2022. Retrieved 5 September 2024.