27.07.2026 13:10
The National Women's Volleyball Team, which became the champion in the 2026 FIVB Nations League, earned its 4th medal under the management of Daniele Santarelli. The crescent-star team achieved victory twice in the Nations League and once in the European Championship with Santarelli, and finished second in the 2025 World Championship. The Italian head coach secured 64 wins in 84 matches with the national team.
Italian head coach Daniele Santarelli left his mark on Turkish volleyball with the successes he achieved in international organizations at the helm of the A Women's National Volleyball Team.
SANTARELLI'S MARK ON TURKISH VOLLEYBALL
The national team, which reached the championship by defeating Brazil 3-1 in the final of the 2026 FIVB Nations League (VNL), won its 4th medal (3 gold and 1 silver) under Daniele Santarelli's management. The 45-year-old Italian coach, who took over the Crescent-Star team on December 27, 2022, achieved victory in the 2023 and 2026 FIVB Nations League and the 2023 CEV European Championship. Under Santarelli's management, the national team reached the semifinals for the first time in its history by finishing 4th at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, and came second in the 2025 World Championship, earning a silver medal.
TURKEY'S "GOLDEN" YEAR
The A Women's National Volleyball Team under Daniele Santarelli experienced one of the most successful seasons in its history in 2023, winning gold medals in two major organizations. With Santarelli, the Crescent-Stars defeated China 3-1 in the 2023 Nations League final, winning their first gold medal in the organization as champions. In the same year, the national team defeated Serbia 3-2 in the final of the CEV European Championship, becoming European champions for the first time in its history. Turkey topped the FIVB World Ranking in 2023.
HISTORIC ACHIEVEMENT AT THE OLYMPICS
Turkey under Daniele Santarelli made history by advancing to the semifinals at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. The national team became the undefeated leader in the Olympic qualifiers held under the name of World Cup. The Crescent-Stars, reaching the Olympic semifinals for the first time in their history, finished the organization in 4th place after losing to Brazil 3-1 in the third-place match.
FIRST FINAL AT THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
The national team maintained its successful performance at the 2025 FIVB World Championship. Turkey, coming second in the world after losing to Italy 3-2 in the final, received its first medal in the organization under the Italian coach.
ANOTHER CUP IN THE VNL
The A Women's National Volleyball Team also won the cup in the 2026 FIVB Nations League. The Crescent-Star team, defeating Brazil 3-1 in the final, earned its second gold medal in the organization and its third gold under Daniele Santarelli. Thus, the Italian head coach achieved 3 gold and 1 bronze medals in his Turkey career.
WIN RATE OF 76 PERCENT
Daniele Santarelli led the Crescent-Stars in 84 official matches. The national team won 64 of these matches, achieving a win rate of 76 percent with the Italian head coach. Turkey played the most matches under Santarelli in the Nations League, winning 40 out of 56 matches, while in the World Championship, it recorded 6 wins and 1 loss. The national team won all 7 matches in the Olympic qualifiers and finished the 2024 Paris Olympic Games with 3 wins and 3 losses. Under Santarelli, the Crescent-Stars also achieved a perfect 8 wins out of 8 in the 2023 European Championship to become champions.
EYES ON THE 2026 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP
Following the 2026 VNL championship, the A Women's National Volleyball Team has set its sights on the European Championship. Turkey under Daniele Santarelli will compete for the gold medal at the 2026 European Championship, where one group and the finals will be played in Istanbul from August 21 to September 6.