For the Brescia native MVP of the Volleyball World Cup (“But Romanò deserved it in the final”), it is his second world title: “At 23, I have achieved impossible goals, I mustn’t think about it.”

The party was at “A mano Bgc,” an Italian restaurant in Makati, a central area of Manila. “We ate, drank, and sang,” says Alessandro Michieletto. “We sang songs by Sfera Ebbasta, rap, trap, all kind of ignorant stuff, to get us pumped up. We had already made a mess on the bus, everyone jumping and dancing to the music chosen by our DJ, Luca Porro. A very poor DJ, it must be said.“ There was also a night out. ”We got back to the hotel at around 1 a.m., packed our bags, and since we were leaving for the airport at 4 a.m., we went for a walk around Makati. In the middle of the night. It was a great moment.” An intimate moment, a good time to start realizing what this group has achieved.

Alessandro Michieletto was voted MVP. He is the best player in the world…

“Yes, that’s the award, but it doesn’t mean I’m the best player in the world. I may have been in this event. And it’s an award for the whole tournament in general, not for the final, because otherwise they would have had to award Yuri (Romanò, ed.), who deserved it more than me. Then, of course, it’s a recognition that makes me proud and gives me a bit of a thrill. During the award ceremony, I was very emotional, which is not like me. I hardly ever get excited when it comes to volleyball. But there I was, very excited indeed: I was already confused by the victory… But I want to say that in our team, given how we played from the round of 16 onwards, everyone deserved the MVP award.”

Do you feel like you’re the best of them all?

“Well, for now, I think many people’s expectations will be raised. And I’ll have to try to confirm that opinion on the field. After that, I’ll remain what I was, and I think I’ll always remain: someone who plays with ease. An award won’t make me any more anxious or responsible.“

The match against Poland was billed as a showdown between you and Leon. He said, ”I certainly feel very strong, but whether Italy is stronger will be decided on the field…“

”But that’s just it, it was Italy vs. Poland, not Michieletto vs. Leon. We won it as a team, because that’s the only way you can win games like that. In this World Cup, it was clear that it’s never one player who decides the outcome. Except for Aleksander Nikolov, who does everything on his own for Bulgaria, or almost everything.”

After the defeat against Belgium, did you think you wouldn’t make it, that you might be eliminated immediately?

“To be honest, that match set off alarm bells. After that, with all due humility, we knew we could beat Ukraine, so I wouldn’t say we were afraid. We just told ourselves over and over again that for us, the do-or-die phase was starting earlier than for the others, and we couldn’t afford to make any mistakes. But it’s true that we’re also a bit of a bunch of idiots, so between the matches against Belgium and Ukraine, a catchphrase started: many of us kept asking team manager Giretto the same question: ‘Have you booked the tickets yet? Have you booked the tickets yet?’. As if it were a foregone conclusion that we would be eliminated. And since there was no need for it after the victory against Ukraine, we thought it would bring good luck and it became a catchphrase. Giretto continued to hear it repeated before the round of 16 and the quarterfinals. And in the end, we were the last to go home.”

A crucial moment in the tournament was the start of the round of 16 against Argentina: you started 0/6 in attack. What were you thinking in those moments?

“It wasn’t easy, but I’ve improved in this area over the years. When I was younger, I probably wouldn’t have recovered. Now I can reset. And then if I score a couple, I regain confidence, and the mistakes are forgotten. I’ve worked on that.“

If I ask you to close your eyes and think of one of your plays in this tournament, which one do you visualize?

”There are two: a defense on a diagonal shot by Sasak. And the coverage on the 22-all point in the second set, also against Poland.”

Two as a defender…

“Exactly. I really liked myself in that match for that reason: I was good at receiving, defending, and covering. It’s true that when it comes to covering, let’s say that if I stretch out properly, I cover a lot of the court (laughter, ed.). In the semifinal, I played a match like… Daniele Lavia.”

How much of Ferdinando De Giorgi is there in this World Cup victory?

“There’s calmness. The ability to come out of a difficult moment, such as the start of this World Cup. There’s clarity in facing a delicate and tough match like the semifinal against Poland. And the ability he instilled in us to learn from our mistakes. In this sense, the Nations League match we lost against the Poles served us well when we faced them again here. He and the staff made no mistakes in terms of tactics.”

At 23, you have already won two World Championships. And now the World Championship will be played every two years. How far can Michieletto go?

“It’s true, I’m achieving goals that are impossible for my age. I hardly even realize it. And maybe that’s my secret: how I am on the field, enjoying myself, calm. I’m afraid that if I stopped to think about what I’ve done and what I’ve already won, it would be counterproductive.”