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| Bergamo captain Francesca Piccinini (pictured) says the loss of Eleonora Lo Bianco has hit the side hard |
Lausanne, Switzerland, December 7, 2010 – Bergamo's preparations for the 2010 FIVB Women's Club World Championship have been anything but ideal and coach Davide Mazzanti admits his team have work to do before arriving in Doha.
The Italian side have had a difficult start to the season, losing to Turkey's Fenerbahce in the CEV Champions League and delivering mixed results in the Italian league. They have also had to contend with the news that the talismanic Eleonora Lo Bianco, the Italian national team's captain, is out of the tournament following an operation to remove a small lump from her breast.
"The beginning of this season has been difficult," Mazzanti said. "We have had difficulties and this is because the team has not trained together enough. We must find our game. And the absence of Lo Bianco has been a hard blow."
Bergamo captain Francesca Piccinini added: "The news about Lo Bianco has upset us. We know that she is living with a great fear, but we know also that we have to handle it in the best possible way. It will be tougher for us on the court, but we want to play well her. We are working to create a strong group and in order to live the special experience of the Club World Championship. Our job is to win all the matches that we will play in Doha."
The experience of captain Piccinini, 31, will be important when Bergamo start off their World Club Championship campaign against the Dominican Republic's Mirador on December 16, the first of their two Pool B games. She will seek support from middle blockers Valentina Arrighetti and Iuliana Nucu as well as young spikers Elitsa Vasileva, Lucia Bosetti and Serena Ortolani as the Italians bid to make an impact at the Qatar-staged event that runs from December 15-21.
