Italy men's national water polo team

"Settebello" redirects here. For the train, see Settebello (train). For the racehorse, see Sette Bello.

The Italy national water polo team represents Italy in men's international water polo competitions and is controlled by Federnuoto (the Italian Aquatics Federation). The national men's team has the nickname of "Settebello" (lit. 'Nice Seven'), the term for the seven of diamonds in the Italian card game scopa and a pun on a standard water polo team having seven players.

Italy

FINA code	ITA
Nickname(s)	Il Settebello
Association	Italian Swimming Federation
Confederation	LEN (Europe)
Head coach	Sandro Campagna
Asst coach	Amedeo Pomilio
Captain	Francesco Di Fulvio
FINA ranking (since 2008)
Current	8 (as of 9 August 2021)
Highest	2 (2012, 2016)
Lowest	9 (2008, 2009, 2010)
Olympic Games (team statistics)
Appearances	22 (first in 1920)
Best result	(1948, 1960, 1992)
World Championship
Appearances	21 (first in 1973)
Best result	(1978, 1994, 2011, 2019)
World Cup
Appearances	12 (first in 1979)
Best result	(1993)
World League
Appearances	19 (first in 2002)
Best result	(2022)
European Championship
Appearances	33 (first in 1927)
Best result	(1947, 1993, 1995)
Europa Cup
Appearances	1 (first in 2018)
Best result	(2018)
Mediterranean Games
Appearances	17 (first in 1955)
Best result	(1955, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1991, 1993)
Media
Website	federnuoto.it
Medal record Olympic Games 1948 London Team 1960 Rome Team 1992 Barcelona Team 1976 Montreal Team 2012 London Team 1952 Helsinki Team 1996 Atlanta Team 2016 Rio Team World Championships 1978 West Berlin Team 1994 Rome Team 2011 Shanghai Team 2019 Gwangju Team 1986 Madrid Team 2003 Barcelona Team 2022 Budapest Team 2024 Doha Team 1975 Cali Team World Cup 1993 Athens 1989 West Berlin 1995 Atlanta 1999 Sydney 2023 Los Angeles 1983 Malibu World League 2022 Strasbourg 2003 New York 2011 Florence 2017 Ruza 2012 Almaty European Championship 1947 Monte Carlo 1993 Sheffield 1995 Vienna 2001 Budapest 2010 Zagreb 1954 Turin 1977 Jönköping 1987 Strasbourg 1989 Bonn 1999 Florence 2014 Budapest 2024 Eindhoven Europa Cup 2018 Rijeka Mediterranean Games 1955 Barcelona Team 1963 Naples Team 1975 Algiers Team 1987 Latakia Team 1991 Athens Team 1993 Languedoc-Roussillon Team 1959 Beirut Team 1967 Tunis Team 1971 İzmir Team 1979 Split Team 2001 Tunis Team 2005 Almería Team 1983 Casablanca Team 2009 Pescara Team
Last updated: 5 September 2021

The Italian men's water polo team has won 8 Olympic medals, 7 World Championships, 5 World Cup, 11 European Championships medals and 3 World League medals, making them one of the most successful men's water polo teams in the world. They have won a combined twelve championships in those five competitions, with the World League, the last competition which Italy won in 2022.

History

The Italian water polo team, of the early 1950s

Water Polo became popular in Italy soon after 1899, when an exhibition match was played at the Bath of Diana in Milan, with the match being described in the press as: "like football but more tiring and difficult, requiring energy and strength beyond the ordinary".^[1]

Although a domestic league was soon established, the Italy national water polo team did not first compete at the Olympic Games until the 1920 Olympics, in Antwerp, Belgium, where they were forced to forfeit their first round match, before losing 5–1 to Greece and being eliminated.

The national team first fulfilled their potential at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, England, when they went undefeated for the whole tournament to claim their first gold medal in the discipline.

The Italian team reclaimed the title of Olympic champions in front of a home crowd at the 1960 Olympics in Rome, Italy. Italy won their third Olympic title at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, beating the hosts and tournament favourites Spain 9–8 after extra time in a thrilling final. Only Hungary (9), and Great Britain (4) have more Olympic titles.

The Italy national side have also won four World Championships, in 1978, 1994, 2011 and 2019, and the World Cup once in 1993. Italy also claimed their first European Championship in 1947.

Competitive record

Competition				Total
Olympic Games	3	2	3	8
World Championship	4	4	1	9
World Cup	1	4	1	6
World League	1	3	1	5
European Championship	3	2	7	12
Europa Cup	0	0	1	1
Universiade	4	4	6	14
Mediterranean Games	6	6	2	14
Total	22	25	22	69

Results

Olympic Games

Main article: Italy men's Olympic water polo team records and statistics

Year[2]	Position	Pld	W	D	L
1900	did not participate
1904
1908
1912
1920	10th	2	0	0	2
1924	11th	1	0	0	1
1928	did not participate
1932
1936
1948		7	6	1	0
1952		8	6	0	2
1956	4th	6	3	0	3
1960		6	5	1	0
1964	4th	6	3	0	3
1968	4th	9	6	1	2
1972	6th	8	3	2	3
1976		8	4	3	1
1980	8th	8	4	1	3
1984	7th	7	4	2	1
1988	7th	7	3	2	2
1992		7	5	2	0
1996		8	7	0	1
2000	5th	8	6	0	2
2004	8th	7	4	0	3
2008	9th	8	4	0	4
2012		8	5	1	2
2016		8	5	0	3
2020	7th	8	4	2	2
2024	7th	8	4	2	2
Total	22/28	151	91	18	42

World Championship

Year	Position	Pld	W	D	L
1973	4th	8	5	0	3
1975		8	4	2	2
1978		8	5	3	0
1982	9th	7	5	0	2
1986		7	5	0	2
1991	6th	7	4	0	3
1994		7	7	0	0
1998	5th	8	5	1	2
2001	4th	8	4	1	3
2003		6	5	0	1
2005	8th	7	2	0	5
2007	5th	7	5	0	2
2009	11th	6	2	0	4
2011		6	6	0	0
2013	4th	7	5	0	2
2015	4th	7	3	1	3
2017	6th	7	4	1	2
2019		6	6	0	0
2022		6	4	0	2
2023	5th	6	5	0	1
2024		7	5	2	0
Total	21/21	147	96	11	40

FINA World Cup

• 1979 – 6th place^[2]
• 1983 – Bronze medal
• 1985 – 5th place
• 1987 – 5th place
• 1989 – Silver medal
• 1993 – Gold medal
• 1995 – Silver medal
• 1997 – 5th place
• 1999 – Silver medal
• 2002 – 4th place
• 2006 – 5th place
• 2023 – Silver medal
• 2025 – Suspended

FINA World League

• 2002 – Semi-final round^[2]
• 2003 – Silver medal
• 2004 – 4th place
• 2005 – Semi-final round
• 2006 – Preliminary round
• 2007 – Preliminary round
• 2008 – 7th place
• 2009 – 5th place
• 2010 – Preliminary round
• 2011 – Silver medal
• 2012 – Bronze medal
• 2013 – Preliminary round
• 2014 – Preliminary round
• 2015 – 7th place
• 2016 – 4th place
• 2017 – Silver medal
• 2018 – Did not participate
• 2019 – Preliminary round
• 2020 – 4th place
• 2022 – Gold medal

European Championship

• 1927 – 12th place
• 1934 – 10th place
• 1938 – 5th place
• 1947 – Gold medal
• 1950 – 4th place
• 1954 – Bronze medal
• 1958 – 4th place
• 1962 – 8th place
• 1966 – 4th place
• 1970 – 4th place
• 1974 – 5th place
• 1977 – Bronze medal
• 1981 – 6th place
• 1983 – 7th place
• 1985 – 4th place
• 1987 – Bronze medal
• 1989 – Bronze medal
• 1991 – 4th place
• 1993 – Gold medal
• 1995 – Gold medal
• 1997 – 6th place
• 1999 – Bronze medal
• 2001 – Silver medal
• 2003 – 9th place
• 2006 – 5th place
• 2008 – 5th place
• 2010 – Silver medal
• 2012 – 4th place
• 2014 – Bronze medal
• 2016 – 6th place
• 2018 – 4th place
• 2020 – 6th place
• 2022 – 4th place
• 2024 – Bronze medal
• 2026 – Qualified

Europa Cup

• 2018 – Bronze medal

Mediterranean Games

• 1951 – Did not participate
• 1955 – Gold medal
• 1959 – Silver medal
• 1963 – Gold medal
• 1967 – Silver medal
• 1971 – Silver medal
• 1975 – Gold medal
• 1979 – Silver medal
• 1983 – Bronze medal
• 1987 – Gold medal
• 1991 – Gold medal
• 1993 – Gold medal
• 1997 – 4th place
• 2001 – Silver medal
• 2005 – Silver medal
• 2009 – Bronze medal
• 2013 – 4th place
• 2018 – 5th place
• 2022 – 4th place

Current squad

Roster for the 2024 Summer Olympics.

The roster was announced on 7 July 2024.^[3]

Head coach: Sandro Campagna^[4]

• 1 Marco Del Lungo GK
• 2 Francesco Di Fulvio (c) W
• 3 Alessandro Velotto D
• 4 Tommaso Gianazza CF
• 5 Andrea Fondelli D
• 6 Francesco Condemi W
• 7 Vincenzo Renzuto CB
• 8 Gonzalo Echenique W
• 9 Nicholas Presciutti CB
• 10 Lorenzo Bruni CF
• 11 Edoardo Di Somma D
• 12 Matteo Iocchi Gratta CB
• 13 Gianmarco Nicosia GK

See also

• Italy men's Olympic water polo team records and statistics
• Italy women's national water polo team
• List of Olympic champions in men's water polo
• List of men's Olympic water polo tournament records and statistics
• List of world champions in men's water polo