The Italy 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" (lit. 'Nice Seven'), the term for the seven of diamonds in the Italian card game scopa and a pun on a standard water polo team having seven players.
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 twelve championships in those five competitions, with the World League, the last competition which Italy won in 2022.
History
edit
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 Italy 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 Italy 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
edit| Competition |  |
 |
 |
Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Olympic Games | 3 | 2 | 3 | 8 |
| World Championship | 4 | 4 | 1 | 9 |
| World Cup | 1 | 4 | 1 | 6 |
| World League | 1 | 3 | 1 | 5 |
| European Championship | 3 | 2 | 7 | 12 |
| Europa Cup | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Universiade | 4 | 4 | 6 | 14 |
| Mediterranean Games | 6 | 6 | 2 | 14 |
| Total | 22 | 25 | 22 | 69 |
Results
editOlympic Games
edit| Year[2] | Position | Pld | W | D | L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 1900
|
Did not participate | ||||
 1904
| |||||
 1908
| |||||
 1912
| |||||
 1920 |
10th | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1924 |
11th | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
 1928
|
Did not participate | ||||
 1932
| |||||
 1936
| |||||
| 1948 |
|
7 | 6 | 1 | 0 |
 1952 |
|
8 | 6 | 0 | 2 |
 1956 |
4th | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
 1960 |
|
6 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
 1964 |
4th | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
 1968 |
4th | 9 | 6 | 1 | 2 |
 1972 |
6th | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
 1976 |
|
8 | 4 | 3 | 1 |
 1980 |
8th | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 |
| 1984 |
7th | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
 1988 |
7th | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
 1992 |
|
7 | 5 | 2 | 0 |
| 1996 |
|
8 | 7 | 0 | 1 |
| 2000 |
5th | 8 | 6 | 0 | 2 |
 2004 |
8th | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 |
 2008 |
9th | 8 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| 2012 |
|
8 | 5 | 1 | 2 |
 2016 |
|
8 | 5 | 0 | 3 |
| 2020 |
7th | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| 2024 |
7th | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| Total | 22/28 | 151 | 91 | 18 | 42 |
World Championship
edit| Year | Position | Pld | W | D | L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 1973 |
4th | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 |
 1975 |
|
8 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| 1978 |
|
8 | 5 | 3 | 0 |
 1982 |
9th | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 |
| 1986 |
|
7 | 5 | 0 | 2 |
| 1991 |
6th | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| 1994 |
|
7 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 1998 |
5th | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 |
| 2001 |
4th | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 |
| 2003 |
|
6 | 5 | 0 | 1 |
| 2005 |
8th | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 |
| 2007 |
5th | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 |
| 2009 |
11th | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| 2011 |
|
6 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 2013 |
4th | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 |
 2015 |
4th | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 |
 2017 |
6th | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 |
| 2019 |
|
6 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 |
|
6 | 4 | 0 | 2 |
| 2023 |
5th | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 |
 2024 |
|
7 | 5 | 2 | 0 |
| Total | 21/21 | 147 | 96 | 11 | 40 |
FINA World Cup
editFINA World League
edit- 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
- 2022 –
Gold medal
European Championship
edit- 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 – 4th place
- 2024 – Bronze medal
- 2026 – Qualified
Europa Cup
edit- 2018 – Bronze medal
Mediterranean Games
edit- 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
- 2022 – 4th place
Current squad
editRoster for the 2024 Summer Olympics.
The roster was announced on 7 July 2024.[3]
Head coach: Sandro Campagna[4]
- 1 Marco Del Lungo GK
- 2 Francesco Di Fulvio (c) W
- 3 Alessandro Velotto D
- 4 Tommaso Gianazza CF
- 5 Andrea Fondelli D
- 6 Francesco Condemi W
- 7 Vincenzo Renzuto CB
- 8 Gonzalo Echenique W
- 9 Nicholas Presciutti CB
- 10 Lorenzo Bruni CF
- 11 Edoardo Di Somma D
- 12 Matteo Iocchi Gratta CB
- 13 Gianmarco Nicosia GK
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "FEDERAZIONE - Federazione Italiana Nuoto". Archived from the original on 5 January 2011. Retrieved 20 May 2013. History of Italian Water Polo
- ^ a b c "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.
- ^ "Olimpiadi di Parigi. I tredici del ct Sandro Campagna". federnuoto.it. 7 July 2024. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
- ^ "Team roster: Italy" (PDF). Olympics.com. 26 July 2024. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
