On Friday, April 18th (local time), in the third round of the Italian Superlegga 5th place deciding qualifying match, Milan, where Tatsunori Otsuka plays, faced off against Padova, with Milan winning comfortably 3-0 (25-22, 25-21, 25-15).
More details about the match are listed in the article below.
After the match, we spoke with Yacine Louati, the French outside hitter who plays for Milan.
T: Thank you for your hard work. The season isn't over yet, but how do you feel looking back on the season so far?
Ruati: Yes, I think it was a tough season to be honest. Because although we have grown a lot as a team and our play has improved a lot, it was a bit of a rollercoaster and not very stable. We finished the regular season in 6th place. I think that was our ability. Of course, we could have aimed higher. The season itself was very long and there was a lot of movement. We also moved some members along the way. We used Tatsu (Otsuka) and changed the middle a bit, and it felt like we were fighting while searching for the best starting lineup. I think it was a good experience for this group to fight in such a tough league. There were no easy games and there was almost no time to rest. I think it was a good season, but it's still disappointing that we didn't make it to the semi-finals of the league or the final four of the Champions League.
T: I'd like to ask you about your teammate, Otsuka. What kind of player is he to you?
Ruati: Honestly, I love this player. Probably one of my favorite players. I also love Miyaura, so those two are my favorite players. Tatsu is really special, he's always smiling, he's serious, and he's very precise in everything he does. He's a great contributor to the team. I played against him in the finals of the VNL (Volleyball Nations League) 2024 last year, and that's when I got to know him. At that time, he was a key player, very stable, and added even more balance to the Japanese national team, which was already the most well-balanced in the world. So I originally had a lot of respect for him, but as I got to know him on the court, I realized he was a really great player. So I really love him.
T: Do you have any stories about your time with Mr. Otsuka that you can share with us?
Ruati: Yes, what was really funny was that he was studying Italian so hard. And not just Italian, he's studying French and many other languages, and he's like a sponge. He wants to know everything he hears, and if you teach him, he remembers and uses it right away. He's really smart, and he uses the words he learns at the right time to make everyone laugh. He's a really nice guy.
Photo: Powervolleymilano, TOSHIKI
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