Matteo Freschi is the new coach of AO Thiras

After his stint with AO Thiras in the 2020-21 season, Matteo Freski returns to Greece for his second term, with the Santorini-based women’s volleyball team announcing an agreement with him to take the helm in the new season.

The announcement in detail:

“The management of AO Thiras is pleased to announce the start of the collaboration with the 33-year-old Italian Bartoccini Fortinfissi Perugia coach Matteo Freschi, who takes over as coach for the 2023-2024 season of the women’s volleyball league.

Born on 03/04/1990 in Mondolfo, Pesaro, Freschi started as a sportsman and then at a young age obtained the FIPAV (Italian Volleyball Federation) coaching diploma, specializing in the development categories. He is a very diligent, ambitious coach with important work and valuable performances in the most important events of world volleyball, valuable guarantees for our team’s return on the path to awards.

He made his bench debut in 2012 with his hometown club Volleyball Mondolfo. This was followed by posts at Chateaux d’ex Urbino, Volley Pesaro and EsinoVolley, while in 2017 he worked on behalf of Virtus Fano in the province of Pesaro-Urbino. In 2018/2019 he returned to the bench at Volley Pesaro and the following season he moved to Montecchio, where he took on the duties of second coach of the Unione Volley Montecchio Maggiore team in Serie A2 Italy.

In 2020 he got his first international experience in Greece, where he was second coach at AO. Game. In a difficult year, when the championship was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Italian coach emerged with our side as Greek Cup finalists.

In 2021, following the call of coach Matteo Bertini, he returned to Italy to work alongside compatriot Delta Despar Trentino Rosa in the women’s series. Their successful partnership lasted until last season in Italy’s top women’s volleyball league with the colors of Bartocini-Fortinfissi Perugia.

In addition to the collective level, Freschi has experience and the level of national teams. From 2022 to date she is a member of the technical staff of the women’s representation of Bulgaria, led by the Italian national coach Lorenzo Micelli. Alongside coaching finalist Olympiakos, Freschi competed as a statistician in the 2022 VolleyNations League and World Championship, finishing 14th and 17th respectively.

In his first words as AO Thiras’ new ‘helmsman’, the Italian coach said: “I am very happy to return to Santorini where I have great memories, both of the team and of all the people of the island. My goal for the new season is to create a team where most people are more.” The most important word will be “work”.

The working environment is very good to achieve this and already everyone at AO We always try to do our best. “The Greek league is definitely more difficult and competitive every year, which is an extra motivation to compete every day,” said Matteo Freschi, who is looking forward to coming to Santorini soon to officially take up his new duties.

The leadership of our club welcomes Matteo back to the AO family. Thiras and wishes him a new racing season full of health, success and awards.”

The career of coach Matteo Freschi in detail

• 2022/2023 A1 Bartocini Fortinfissi Perugia
• 2022/2023 Bulgaria Women’s National Team
• 2021/2022 A1 Trentino Pink
• 2020/2021 A1 AO Thera
• 2019/2020 A2 Union Volleyball Montecchio Maggiore
• 2018/2019 D Volley Pesaro
• 2017/2018 B Virtus Fano
• 2016/2017 A2 Volleyball Pesaro
• 2015/2016 D Esino Volley
• 2014/2015 B1 Volleyball Pesaro
• 2013/2014 A1 Chateaux d’ex Urbino
• 2012/2013 Volleyball Mondolfo