Euro Final 8, Italy’s double bronze with the Netherlands and Belgium. Ferrari: “Italy on two podiums, proud of these players”

The shout of Alvarito Montiel echoes in the Plaza de Toros and joins that of Flavio Abbate. The tears from yesterday, impossible to stop after the loss to Portugal in the semifinals, are replaced by jumps, songs, and dances with the whole Italian team. The decisive point came from the debuting pair, and yes, Italy defeated the Netherlands 2-0, earning a well-deserved European bronze. A celebration that comes just before the one from the women’s team, because on the next court, the blue color shines again — the Italian women also won bronze against Belgium. The hug between Carolina Orsi and Emily Stellato in the middle of the court is the highlight of a third place that confirms Italy’s women’s team among the elite of European and world padel. In the men’s bronze final, Italy’s superiority was clear. In the first match, Aris “Potter” Patiniotis – as the Italian team calls him, inspired by J.K. Rowling’s saga – and Marco Cassetta left only three games to Van Osptel and Nolten. In the second match, another strong performance by Abbate-Caruso, who won 6-2, 6-4 to secure third place. Still, what the Netherlands achieved was impressive — they had never gone this far before. It’s no surprise that FIP president Luigi Carraro congratulated the “Oranje” team for their great result: “You should be proud of yourselves because you achieved something extraordinary and historic for your country. You have earned your place among Europe’s padel elite, and this will make a difference for your team’s future.” Then, the FIP president congratulated the Italian men’s team, one by one, and afterwards the Belgian women’s team: “You played a great European Championship, reaching the semifinals for the first time — a historic result. You fought to be here and deserved it. And let’s not forget that both you and the Netherlands, by finishing in the top four, are now automatically qualified for the next FIP Euro Padel Cup Final 8.”

The Italian celebration continues with the words of Alvaro Montiel: “I dedicate this big result to my father, Gonzalo. Moving to Italy changed everything for me and my career. I have a piece of Italy in my heart that has always beaten strongly, and when I arrived in Turin, this bond became even stronger. I love this jersey so much…” You can tell from his tears the day before and from how naturally “Alvarito” has become part of the Italian world. Flavio Abbate also celebrates, though with some pride and regret: “Happy for the bronze? Yes, but let’s not forget this team deserved the silver medal.” After the two victories from the Italian women — Pappacena-Marchetti (6-2, 6-3 against Pysson-Boeykens) and Orsi-Stellato (6-1, 7-6 against Wyckaert-Mestach) — came the words of Marcela Ferrari, coach of both the men’s and women’s teams: “Two bronzes, and with Spain at another level, we’re the only European country on both podiums. This proves the quality of our players. How did we recover after losing the semifinals? Simple — the past is the past, and we focused on these two finals, which we both won.” Saverio Palmieri, assistant coach to Ferrari, sums it up: “We brought three players in their twenties to the men’s team, and they proved that the new generation is ready. Montiel, Iacovino, and Abbate are the future — they have great potential. As for the women, last year we reached the final after a decisive third match against France, and this year it slipped away the same way. It’s all about small moments and details, but Italy showed it’s still Italy, no doubt about that.”

Finally, Giorgia Marchetti, the Italian player with the best performance in this European Championship, said: “We won bronze and once again made it to the podium. Padel has reached such a high level that a single detail can make the difference, but we’re still there, always fighting.” The Netherlands for the men and Belgium for the women — padel keeps expanding its horizons. Countries are growing technically and competitively, and new names are emerging in a sport that is becoming more and more global and exciting.