Andrea Giani

Andrea Giani
Personal information
Born	(1970-04-22) 22 April 1970 Naples, Italy
Height	1.96 m (6 ft 5 in)
Coaching information
Current team	France ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle
Previous teams coached Years Teams 2007–2008 2008–2012 2013–2016 2015–2016 2017–2021 2017–2019 2019–2023 2022– 2024– Modena Volley M. Roma Volley Calzedonia Verona Slovenia Germany Power Volley Milano Modena Volley France ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle
Volleyball information
Position	Middle blocker
Number	13 (national team)
Career
Years Teams 1982–1985 1985–1996 1996–2007 Pallavolo Sabaudia Pallavolo Parma Modena Volley
National team
1988–2005 Italy (474)
Honours Men's volleyball Representing Italy Olympic Games 1996 Atlanta 2004 Athens 2000 Sydney FIVB World Championship 1990 Brazil 1994 Greece 1998 Japan FIVB World Cup 1995 Japan FIVB World Grand Champions Cup 1993 Japan FIVB World League 1991 Milan 1992 Genoa 1994 Milan 1995 Rio de Janeiro 1997 Moscow 1999 Mar del Plata 2000 Rotterdam 1993 São Paulo Goodwill Games 1990 Seattle CEV European Championship 1993 Finland 1995 Greece 1999 Austria 2003 Germany Head coach Slovenia CEV European Championship 2015 Poland Head coach Germany CEV European Championship 2017 Poland Head coach France FIVB Nations League 2022 Bologna

Andrea Giani (born 22 April 1970) is an Italian professional volleyball coach and former player who serves as head coach for the France national team and the Polish PlusLiga team, ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle.

Giani scored numerous successes in the 1990s, including three World Championships with his national team. He was an all-rounder able to play both as an outside hitter and as a middle blocker, but he played several times as an opposite spiker too.

Career

Giani’s father, Dario, was a rower who took part in the 1964 Summer Olympics for Italy. After having trained with the father, now a rowing coach, Andrea tried for brief period as a football player, in 1985 the 14-year-old Giani began his career as a volleyball player in the local team of Sabaudia, in the Southern Latium, where he lived. Soon news about his qualities spread and attracted attention from the two main volleyball club of Italy of the period: Panini Modena and Santal/Maxicono Parma.

Giani was chosen to play for the latter, initially with the junior team under Gian Paolo Montali as coach. Giani’s first final for scudetto in the Parma major team was in 1987. Parma was defeated, as well as in the following seasons. Giani won in 1990 his first scudetto, it was to be followed by four more. In the meantime, in 1988, Giani had scored against Finland his first cap for the Italy, his career with the Azzurri colours ended in 2005 after a total of 474 caps (record), becoming one of the most renowned players in Italy and in the world for his excellent technical and jumping capabilities. With Italy Giani won three World Championship titles in a row (1990, 1994 and 1998) and four European Championship (1993, 1995, 1999, 2003) and many others. He won three medals at the Olympic Games but his team never won the gold medal, even though Italy was generally considered the top favourites. He won silver medals at the 1996 Olympic Games and 2004 Olympic Games, and a bronze medal at the 2000 Olympic Games and make Golden time with team other members. During his career Giani became renowned for his polyvalence, starting as a middle blocker, he turned into a power attacker and passer. Giani before Modena, played in Parma 1985-1996 and winner three Italian Championship Serie A and Club World Championship.

After having quit the national team, Giani played for Cimone Modena until 2008 and winner two CEV Champions League. He taking the reins of the team as manager starting from season 2007–2008. His nickname is Giangio and at the season winner CEV Challenge Cup 2008. Giani at 2009-2010 year won Championship Serie A2 with M. Roma Volley. Giani became the manager of the Slovenia men's national volleyball team in May 2015. Few months later he led Slovenia to victory in the European Volleyball League, which secured them a spot at the 2016 FIVB Volleyball World League. In October Slovenia unexpectedly won their first medal on a major volleyball tournament, after reaching the Final of the 2015 Men's European Volleyball Championship where they were defeated by France. In 2017, Giani replaced Vital Heynen as head coach of the Germany men's national volleyball team.

Honours

As a player

• CEV European Champions Cup
  • 1996–97 – with Modena Volley
  • 1997–98 – with Modena Volley

• FIVB Club World Championship
  • Parma 1989 – with Maxicono Parma

• CEV Cup
  • 1987–88 – with Maxicono Parma
  • 1988–89 – with Maxicono Parma
  • 1989–90 – with Maxicono Parma

• CEV Challenge Cup
  • 1991–92 – with Maxicono Parma
  • 1994–95 – with Maxicono Parma
  • 2003–04 – with Modena Volley

• Domestic
  • 1989–90 Italian Cup, with Maxicono Parma
  • 1989–90 Italian Championship, with Maxicono Parma
  • 1991–92 Italian Cup, with Maxicono Parma
  • 1991–92 Italian Championship, with Maxicono Parma
  • 1992–93 Italian Championship, with Maxicono Parma
  • 1996–97 Italian Cup, with Modena Volley
  • 1996–97 Italian Championship, with Modena Volley
  • 1997–98 Italian SuperCup, with Modena Volley
  • 1997–98 Italian Cup, with Modena Volley
  • 2001–02 Italian Championship, with Modena Volley

As a coach

• CEV Cup
  • 2022–23 – with Modena Volley

• CEV Challenge Cup
  • 2007–08 – with Modena Volley
  • 2015–16 – with Calzedonia Verona

Individual awards

• 1994: FIVB World League – Most valuable player
• 1995: FIVB World Cup – Most valuable player
• 1998: FIVB World League – Best blocker

State awards

• 2000: Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
• 2004: Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic

External links

• Player profile at the European Volleyball Confederation
• Coach profile at the European Volleyball Confederation
• Player profile at Volleyhall.org
• Coach/Player profile at Volleybox.net
• Player profile at LegaVolley.it (in Italian)
• Coach profile at LegaVolley.it (in Italian)
• Andrea Giani at Olympedia
• Andrea Giani at Olympics.com
• Andrea Giani at Olympic.org (archived)
• Andrea Giani at the Comitato Olimpico Nazionale Italiano (in Italian)