A press conference for the European Champions League Final Four was held on Thursday, May 15th, and we spoke with Simone Giannelli, captain of Perugia (Italy), the team Ishikawa Yuki plays for.
T: How are you feeling right now?
Giannelli: I'm very happy. It's not easy to get here because the Champions League is a very difficult competition. We are here as one of the top four teams in Europe, so it's an honor to be here. But now we have to work hard again because we want to show good volleyball in the match against Ankara.
T: I think you had a lot of time to prepare after the third place match in Italy. How did you prepare?
Giannelli: We played against Piacenza in the third-place match in Italy and were able to win. It's hard to win two consecutive matches against a good team like Piacenza, so I think it was good that we were able to do that. We had about a week to practice after that, and I think we were well prepared. We were able to practice for a day or two without worrying, so we had time to relax. But practice and matches are different, so we'll see how it goes.
T: If you make it through to the semi-finals, you'll reach the finals. What do you think is the key to victory?
Giannelli: Right now, we are concentrating on the semi-finals (laughs). First of all, we have to focus on playing our own volleyball. They are a good team. They serve really well and are physically strong. So we have to focus on reception. That helps with side-outs. If the ball goes far from the net and it becomes a high ball all the time, it will be tough. Their block is very strong. So serve reception and side-outs are important. And we have to attack well with our serves.
T: The UEFA Champions League is a special tournament, but how is it particularly special to you?
Giannelli: It's very special because I haven't won this trophy yet. I've been to two finals but lost both times and got the silver medal. But I'm not obsessed with winning. I'm not here to win, I'm here to help the team and do my best. It takes a lot of factors to win, not only us but also the opponent. But it's an important competition for the club. I think Perugia has only been in the semi-finals of the Champions League twice (actually six times (one runner-up and five semi-finals)). We're a young club. Anyway, I'm going to enjoy the competition.
T: I think a lot of fans from Perugia will be at the venue, but it looks like fans from Japan are also coming.
Giannelli: Japanese fans are Perugia fans, because we have (Ishikawa) Yuuki (laughs). I hope many Perugia fans come to the venue. But the tickets were sold out a week ago, so there may not be many available seats, but I hope as many fans as possible come. It would be nice if Japanese fans came for Perugia too. Mostly for Yuuki (laughs). I would be happy if everyone supported our match.
T: Can we look forward to your back attack too? (laughs)
Giannelli: Yeah, I just want to have fun on the court and try to get points for myself, for my team and for myself.
Photo: TOSHIKI, CEV
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