Italy men's national water polo team

The Italian national water polo team represents Italy in men's international water polo competitions and is controlled by Federnuoto (the Italian Aquatics Federation). The national men's team has the nickname of "Settebello", a reference to both the Italian card game scopa and a standard water polo team having seven players.

Italy
FINA codeITA
Nickname(s)Il Settebello
AssociationItalian Swimming Federation
ConfederationLEN (Europe)
Head coachAlessandro Campagna
Asst coachAmedeo Pomilio
CaptainPietro Figlioli
FINA ranking (since 2008)
Current8 (as of 9 August 2021)
Highest2 (2012, 2016)
Lowest9 (2008, 2009, 2010)
Olympic Games (team statistics)
Appearances20 (first in 1920)
Best result (1948, 1960, 1992)
World Championship
Appearances18 (first in 1973)
Best result (1978, 1994, 2011, 2019)
World Cup
Appearances11 (first in 1979)
Best result (1993)
World League
Appearances17 (first in 2002)
Best result (2003, 2011, 2017)
European Championship
Appearances32 (first in 1927)
Best result (1947, 1993, 1995)
Europa Cup
Appearances1 (first in 2018)
Best result (2018)
Mediterranean Games
Appearances17 (first in 1955)
Best result (1955, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1991, 1993)
Media
Websitefedernuoto.it
Medal record
Olympic Games
1948 London Team
1960 Rome Team
1992 Barcelona Team
1976 Montreal Team
2012 London Team
1952 Helsinki Team
1996 Atlanta Team
2016 Rio Team
World Championships
1978 West Berlin Team
1994 Rome Team
2011 Shanghai Team
2019 Gwangju Team
1986 Madrid Team
2003 Barcelona Team
1975 Cali Team
World Cup
1993 Athens
1989 West Berlin
1995 Atlanta
1999 Sydney
1983 Malibu
World League
2003 New York
2011 Florence
2017 Ruza
2012 Almaty
European Championship
1947 Monte Carlo
1993 Sheffield
1995 Vienna
2001 Budapest
2010 Zagreb
1954 Turin
1977 Jönköping
1987 Strasbourg
1989 Bonn
1999 Florence
2014 Budapest
Europa Cup
2018 Rijeka
Mediterranean Games
1955 BarcelonaTeam
1963 NaplesTeam
1975 AlgiersTeam
1987 LatakiaTeam
1991 AthensTeam
1993 Languedoc-RoussillonTeam
1959 BeirutTeam
1967 TunisTeam
1971 İzmirTeam
1979 SplitTeam
2001 TunisTeam
2005 AlmeríaTeam
1983 CasablancaTeam
2009 PescaraTeam
Last updated: 5 September 2021

The Italian men's water polo team has won 8 Olympic medals, 7 World Championships, 5 World Cup, 11 European Championships medals and 3 World League medals, making them one of the most successful men's water polo teams in the world. They have won a combined eleven championships in those four competitions, with the World League being the only competition which Italy has yet to win.

History
The Italian water polo team, of the early 1950s

Water Polo became popular in Italy soon after 1899, when an exhibition match was played at the Bath of Diana in Milan, with the match being described in the press as: "like football but more tiring and difficult, requiring energy and strength beyond the ordinary".[1]

Although a domestic league was soon established, the Italian national water polo team did not first compete at the Olympic Games until the 1920 Olympics, in Antwerp, Belgium, where they were forced to forfeit their first round match, before losing 5–1 to Greece and being eliminated.

The national team first fulfilled their potential at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, England, when they went undefeated for the whole tournament to claim their first gold medal in the discipline.

The Italian team reclaimed the title of Olympic champions in front of a home crowd at the 1960 Olympics in Rome, Italy. Italy won their third Olympic title at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, beating the hosts and tournament favourites Spain 9–8 after extra time in a thrilling final. Only Hungary (9), and Great Britain (4) have more Olympic titles.

The Italian national side have also won four World Championships, in 1978, 1994, 2011 and 2019, and the World Cup once in 1993. Italy also claimed their first European Championship in 1947.

Competitive record
CompetitionTotal
Olympic Games 3238
World Championship 4217
World Cup 1315
World League 0314
European Championship 32611
Europa Cup 0011
Universiade 44614
Mediterranean Games 66214
Total21222164

Results

Olympic Games
Main article: Italy men's Olympic water polo team records and statistics
Year[2] Position Pld W D L
1900 Did not participate
1904
1908
1912
192010th2002
192411th1001
1928 Did not participate
1932
1936
19487610
19528602
19564th6303
19606510
19644th6303
19684th9612
19726th6323
19768431
19808th8413
19847th7421
19887th7322
19927520
19968701
20005th8602
20048th7403
20089th8404
20128512
20168503
20207th8422
Total21/27143871640

World Championship

FINA World Cup

FINA World League
  • 2002 – Semi-final round[2]
  • 2003 – Silver medal
  • 2004 – 4th place
  • 2005 – Semi-final round
  • 2006 – Preliminary round
  • 2007 – Preliminary round
  • 2008 – 7th place
  • 2009 – 5th place
  • 2010 – Preliminary round
  • 2011 – Silver medal
  • 2012 – Bronze medal
  • 2013 – Preliminary round
  • 2014 – Preliminary round
  • 2015 – 7th place
  • 2016 – 4th place
  • 2017 – Silver medal
  • 2018 – Did not participate
  • 2019 – Preliminary round
  • 2020 – 4th place

European Championship
  • 1927 – 12th place
  • 1934 – 10th place
  • 1938 – 5th place
  • 1947 – Gold medal
  • 1950 – 4th place
  • 1954 – Bronze medal
  • 1958 – 4th place
  • 1962 – 8th place
  • 1966 – 4th place
  • 1970 – 4th place
  • 1974 – 5th place
  • 1977 – Bronze medal
  • 1981 – 6th place
  • 1983 – 7th place
  • 1985 – 4th place
  • 1987 – Bronze medal
  • 1989 – Bronze medal
  • 1991 – 4th place
  • 1993 – Gold medal
  • 1995 – Gold medal
  • 1997 – 6th place
  • 1999 – Bronze medal
  • 2001 – Silver medal
  • 2003 – 9th place
  • 2006 – 5th place
  • 2008 – 5th place
  • 2010 – Silver medal
  • 2012 – 4th place
  • 2014 – Bronze medal
  • 2016 – 6th place
  • 2018 – 4th place
  • 2020 – 6th place
  • 2022 – Qualified

Europa Cup
  • 2018 – Bronze medal

Mediterranean Games
  • 1951 – Unknown
  • 1955 – Gold medal
  • 1959 – Silver medal
  • 1963 – Gold medal
  • 1967 – Silver medal
  • 1971 – Silver medal
  • 1975 – Gold medal
  • 1979 – Silver medal
  • 1983 – Bronze medal
  • 1987 – Gold medal
  • 1991 – Gold medal
  • 1993 – Gold medal
  • 1997 – 4th place
  • 2001 – Silver medal
  • 2005 – Silver medal
  • 2009 – Bronze medal
  • 2013 – 4th place
  • 2018 – 5th place

Current squad

Roster for the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Head coach: Sandro Campagna[3]

No. Player Pos. L/R Height Weight Date of birth (age) Apps OG/
Goals		 Club Ref
1 Marco Del Lungo 10GK 2R 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) 97 kg (214 lb) (1990-03-01)1 March 1990 (aged 31) 190 1/0 Brescia [4]
2 Francesco Di Fulvio 50D 2R 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) 88 kg (194 lb) (1993-08-15)15 August 1993 (aged 27) 192 1/8 Pro Recco [5]
3 Stefano Luongo 50D 2R 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) 84 kg (185 lb) (1990-01-05)5 January 1990 (aged 31) 167 0/0 Pro Recco [6]
4 Pietro Figlioli (C) 50D 2R 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) 98 kg (216 lb) (1984-05-29)29 May 1984 (aged 37) 263 4/42 Pro Recco [7]
5 Nicholas Presciutti 20CB 2R 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in) 90 kg (198 lb) (1993-12-14)14 December 1993 (aged 27) 109 0/0 Pro Recco [8]
6 Alessandro Velotto 50D 2R 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) 85 kg (187 lb) (1995-02-12)12 February 1995 (aged 26) 153 1/1 Pro Recco [9]
7 Vincenzo Renzuto 50D 2R 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) 80 kg (176 lb) (1993-04-08)8 April 1993 (aged 28) 95 0/0 Brescia [10]
8 Gonzalo Echenique 50D 1L 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) 96 kg (212 lb) (1990-04-27)27 April 1990 (aged 31) 59 1/11 Pro Recco [11]
9 Niccolò Figari 20CB 2R 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) 91 kg (201 lb) (1988-01-24)24 January 1988 (aged 33) 170 0/0 Pro Recco [12]
10 Michaël Bodegas 40CF 2R 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in) 102 kg (225 lb) (1987-05-03)3 May 1987 (aged 34) 122 1/3 Barceloneta [13]
11 Matteo Aicardi 40CF 2R 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in) 102 kg (225 lb) (1986-04-19)19 April 1986 (aged 35) 265 2/9 Pro Recco [14]
12 Vincenzo Dolce 50D 2R 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) 92 kg (203 lb) (1995-05-11)11 May 1995 (aged 26) 56 0/0 Brescia [15]
13 Gianmarco Nicosia 10GK 2R 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) 93 kg (205 lb) (1998-02-12)12 February 1998 (aged 23) 58 0/0 Telimar Palermo [16]
Average 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) 92 kg (203 lb) 30 years, 118 days 146

Note: Age as of 23 July 2021
Source: Italy Men | Tokyo 2020 Olympics

See also

References
  1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 5 January 2011. Retrieved 20 May 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) History of Italian Water Polo
  2. "HistoFINA – Water polo medalists and statistics" (PDF). fina.org. FINA. September 2019. pp. 4, 14, 25, 40, 48. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 August 2021. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  3. "Water Polo - CAMPAGNA Alessandro". olympics.com. International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  4. "Del LUNGO Marco". olympics.com. International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  5. "Di FULVIO Francesco". olympics.com. International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  6. "LUONGO Stefano". olympics.com. International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  7. "FIGLIOLI Pietro". olympics.com. International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  8. "PRESCIUTTI Nicholas". olympics.com. International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  9. "VELOTTO Alessandro". olympics.com. International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  10. "RENZUTO IODICE Vincenzo". olympics.com. International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  11. "ECHENIQUE Gonzalo". olympics.com. International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  12. "FIGARI Niccolo". olympics.com. International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  13. "BODEGAS Michael Alexandre". olympics.com. International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  14. "AICARDI Matteo". olympics.com. International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  15. "DOLCE Vincenzo". olympics.com. International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  16. "NICOSIA Gianmarco". olympics.com. International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
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