Lausanne, Switzerland, November 21, 2016 - Relationships between a coach and player can take many forms, but in the world of beach volleyball, where teams consist of just two athletes, they are almost bound to be close.
Italy’s Adrian Carambula obviously wears his heart on his sleeve as he has made a touching farewell on Instagram to his departing coach Paulo Moreira, known as Paulao, who is heading off to work in Israel after five years as Italy’s technical director.
Adrian Carambula expressed his feelings on Instagram
“Paulao.... It is hard to accept that we are parting ways,” Carambula wrote. “A lot of people would think that you were my coach, and they were obviously right. But it was much bigger than that. Your love, your hugs, your slaps in the face and our laughs together felt more like the ones a father and son share. And because of that, this journey has been an unforgettable one. So thank you for being humble, honest, for putting family always first, for sharing this game with so much passion and for showing me what it takes to win.”
The text is accompanied by a photo of the pair embracing. Carambula’s playing partner Alex Ranghieri was also into hugging Paulao and jumped into the tribunes to embrace his coach after he and Carambula reached the final of the European Championship in 2015.
Paulao, a former world champion who became Italy’s technical director, let the athletes take the plaudits, but he was just as much a star for Italy. Since he took over from the American Mike Dodd, the Italian squad have won seven gold, 11 silver and 10 bronze medals on the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour.
Italy´s Adrian Carambula (left) and Alex Ranghieri at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games
It has been rumoured that Matteo Varnier could become the new technical director of Team Italy. The Varnier-trained duo of Paolo Nicolai and Daniele Lupo have won two titles at the European Championships.
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