05/03/2021 2 Minute Read

Federico Pizzolini named Italian Olympic Softball team head coach

The 56-year-old head coach will lead the Italian team at Tokyo 2020 and this year’s European Championship, to be played on home soil.

Federico Pizzolini has been named head coach of the Italian Women’s National Softball Team and will steer the team in the country’s third appearance at the Olympic Games this summer in Tokyo. The Italian Baseball and Softball Federation (FIBS - Federazione Italiana Baseball Softball) confirmed the appointment 10 days after Enrico Obletter, former head coach of the national team, passed away. Julio La Rosa and Giovanna Palermi will also remain on the coaching staff.

FIBS President Andrea Marcon said they needed to give continuity to the work carried out in recent years by Obletter, and therefore the choice fell naturally to Pizzolini.

On 21 March the Italian Olympic Softball Team will open a training camp under Pizzolini’s orders for the first time. “It will be an opportunity to meet the great family that we have built together with Enrico over the years and to start together again towards new goals and results."

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Pizzolini was born in Trieste in 1964. Once he retired as a baseball player, he immediately began his career as a coach. He led multiple teams in Italy before joining the coaching staff of the national team. He was part of the staff on numerous youth national teams and the men’s national team before joining Obletter’s working group at the senior women’s national squad.

Pizzolini has a wide knowledge of the national team players. Among other tournaments, during Obletter’s tenure as head coach, Pizzolini assisted him during the WBSC Women’s Softball World Championship 2018 (7th place), the WBSC U-19 Women’s Softball World Cup 2019 (11th place) and the WBSC Softball Europe/Africa Olympic Qualifier, where Italy booked their ticket to Tokyo 2020.