Italy’s national volleyball team outside hitter Daniele Lavia will miss the World Championship due to injury.
The player suffered a serious injury during a training camp in Verona while preparing for the tournament – he has already undergone surgery.
According to the Italian Volleyball Federation, after an accidental fall, the 25-year-old sustained a multi-fragment displaced fracture with tendon damage to the fourth and fifth fingers of his right hand.
This required an urgent surgical procedure, which was immediately carried out at the Borgo Trento hospital in Verona. The reconstruction of the tendons and soft tissues of the hand was technically successful – the hand was immobilized with a special brace. The recovery time still needs to be assessed but will in any case be very lengthy.
As a result, Lavia will miss the World Championship in the Philippines (September 12–28) as well as part of the club season.
In response, Trentino issued a statement emphasizing that it will demand financial compensation:
“The recovery period will be very long. The club management currently wants to focus only on Daniele’s swiftest possible return, starting physical and therapeutic work for optimal recovery. In the coming days, the issue of responsibility, including financial matters, will be discussed with the federation, since the athlete, due to an injury sustained during his long stay with the Italian national team, is forced to miss a significant part of the season, which will cause the club major losses.”
Lavia himself wrote on Instagram:
“The hand surgery went very well. An important step to return to the court as soon as possible and fight together with my teammates. Thank you so much for all your messages, support, and love… you cannot imagine how important this is in such moments. Special thanks to Dr. Massimo Corain, Dr. Mattia Giardini, and their entire team for their readiness to help and professionalism.”
Trentino’s general manager, Bruno Da Re, described the injury as follows:
“An absurd situation when a 15-kilo weight fell on his hand. The teammates were shocked. A two-meter-tall guy falls off a box, and at that moment a 15-kilo weight falls on his hand. Those who were there said everyone got scared: it could have ended much worse.”
When asked if the injury was really that serious, Da Re replied:
“Extremely serious. Two fingers were practically shattered, torn apart. The fourth and fifth fingers of the right hand destroyed: open fractures, torn skin, damaged nerves and tendons. He spent more than three hours in the operating room. The teammates who saw it with their own eyes were shocked.”
It is still unclear whom Italy’s head coach Ferdinando De Giorgi will call up as a replacement for the injured player. Meanwhile, Trentino is planning negotiations with Bulgarian attacker Matey Kaziyski.
Reminder: On September 18 at 16:30 Kyiv time, Ukraine will face Italy in the group stage of the 2025 World Championship in Manila (Philippines).
