Di Cicco: “We have to compete hard to ensure qualification for the Games”

“In the results, obviously The balance is not good, because we did not achieve direct qualification for Paris 2024. But thanks to the amazing VNL 2023, for South America in which we were champions “And with the points we added in this pre-Olympics round, we have a second chance through the rankings.” He says Luciano De CiccoThe captain of the Argentine national team at the beginning of the dialogue with espn.

“Canada is the fair winner of the second ticket Of this pre-Olympic, because We knew that Poland, At least in the past It was one step higher than the others. That’s why I’ve always insisted that playing in the Eredivisie and winning the South American Championship does not guarantee our qualification. “These tournaments can be very unpredictable.”The point guard adds after the conclusion of the tournament in Xi’an, China.

“We have to compete ‘for the handle’ during the three weeks of VNL 2024, which will be key.”In a few hours he will travel to Italy to join Cucine Lube Civitanova, his NBA volleyball team, confirms De Cecco while packing his bags.

“Below, The goal is to beat all the teams that are below Argentina in the ranking, To maintain or improve the position, and in this way ensure qualification for the Games, as if he were already playing chess for the next season.

– Although the tournament was not regular, they only lost to Poland and Canada. Do you feel that in a very positive season, they were only “condemned” by an unexpected defeat to the Canadiens?

-I feel so Almost throughout the tournament, we did not play at our best. against Netherlands, I think we played the game that most reflects what our year has been like.. against Poland We also played very well: but, with some handicap, they made some difference. Beyond that, We did not enjoy the pre-Olympic period. In many moments I dare say we suffer from it. We could not give our best in volleyball individually and I can’t give an opinion: everyone knows why this situation happened. However, these things should serve as learning, because Many of the boys played such an important tournament for the first time.

-Where does Argentina stand after the pre-Olympics stage?

–We are ranked sixth in the world rankings. Maybe we made mistakes in some matches, but Here in China we only lost to Canada And good or bad, We beat everyone who was lower in the rankings than us. For this reason, we have to be grateful for the fantastic year we had to maintain sixth place. Of course, we would have preferred that each of them now travel to their clubs with a ticket to Paris 2024 in their hands, but the truth is that Canada took advantage of their opportunities better than the other teams.

– What exactly happened against Canada? How much merit was the competitor, and how many disadvantages did he have?

– There are not many turns. We played bad and they played better than us. They had their advantages, of course. I think that Argentina wasted two chances against Belgium and ChinaFor example: Those games could have been completely different. But that’s it. This is no time for regret.

– First the chicken or the egg? Did the violations in the game affect the mental aspect, or did the psychological disorders affect the football aspect?

-The only thing I can say right away, because the tournament has just ended, is this We did not know how to take advantage of opportunities: When you don’t benefit from it, you suffer from it. We were not able to play our best games intellectually, tactically or at the volleyball level. In the cold, we may realize that there are opportunities that only come once. Fortunately, the train can pass here again. We have to be smart enough and realize that we have another chance, through classification, to get that ticket that takes us to Paris to be at the Olympics again.

-Sixth place in the standings is still very positive and what looked like a transitional season was actually a very good 2023. do you agree?

-Yes. With Monday’s newspaper I can tell you yes. I think that The work being done is reflected, as we jump over obstacles, climb stairs and engage players who may not even have expected. This gift. Good results help players grow faster. Argentina It is sixth in the world With several new names in connection with the Tokyo Olympics. However, we cannot forget that most of the team in a very good 2023 went to the 2022 World Cup and things did not go well for us: we finished in the top eight, yes, but we suffered in the match more than we did in this match. Pre-Olympic. for this reason, The maturity and play of the younger players in 2024 will be key. It will be a very short year: from the first VNL match until the last day we have to get results. It is important that everyone returns from their clubs in the best possible way on a personal and performance level, so that we put everything at the service of the national team and, in this way, say “present” at other Olympic Games.