Manuela Leggeri

Manuela Leggeri was on the Italian volleyball squad at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, the first Italian women’s team to compete at the Olympics. She was captain of the Italian national team at the 2002 World Championships in Germany, coached by Marco Bonitta. She was among the best middle-blockers in the world and her technical and physical talent, with pluck and charisma, made her among the most well-known figures in women’s volleyball between 1990s and 2000s.

Leggeri débuted in the First League at the age of 16, in 1992, with Fincres Roma. She then moved to Altamura, Virtus Reggio Calabria, Spezzano Rubiera, Centro Ester Napoli, Volley Modena, Giannino Pieralisi Volley Jesi, and Club Padova e Imola. In the 2008-09 season she joined Sassuolo, and then Sirio Perugia, River Piacenza, and finally Millenium Brescia in the Third League in 2015-2016, where she won the Italian Cup in this category and promotion to the Second League. Among her palmarés are three Italian titles (Modena, 2000; River Piacenza 2013 and 2014); one European Cup (Modena, 2001); three CEV Cups (Roma 1993, Napoli 1999 and Modena 2002); three Italian Cups (Modena, 2002; River Piacenza 2013 and 2014); and two Italian SuperCups (River Piacenza, 2013 and 2014).

Leggeri’s first appearance with the national team was on 30 May 1994 at Pisogne, near Bergamo, in a friendly against a Japanese club, the Daiei, losing 3-2. She soon became an irreplaceable mainstay of the Azzurro sextet: she earned 326 international caps, one more than Manuela Benelli and behind only fellow Olympians Simona Rinieri Dennis, Francesca Piccinini and Eleonora Lo Bianco. For over four years Leggeri was captain of the team.

In addition to the world title, she made two Olympic appearances and twice took the gold medal at the Mediterranean Games (1997 and 2001), as well as the silver medals at the 2001 Europeans and 2004 Gran Prix. Her last match was on 27 November 2004 in the All Star Game at Pesaro. In 2002 Leggeri was the recipient of the title of Knight of the Italy’s Republic and, in 2004, received the Collare d’Oro for sporting merits.