FIVB: Angiolino Frigoni brings winning pedigree to Alas Pilipinas Men

Angiolino Frigoni, head coach of the Alas Pilipinas men’s volleyball team, is no stranger to winning — and he has brought that mindset to the Philippines' historic campaign at the 2025 FIVB Men’s World Championship.

Frigoni, who once led Italy’s women’s national team to a bronze medal at the 1999 European Championship and their first Olympic appearance, is now calling the shots for a rising Philippine squad that is leaving its mark in the nation's sports history.

On Tuesday night, the Philippines secured its first-ever win at the Men’s Worlds, defeating Egypt 29-27, 23-25, 25-21, 25-21, in front of the home crowd at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The victory came at the expense of a country Frigoni once led to success, having coached Egypt to the African Championships in 2015.

“This is not just for me or for the Philippines, it’s a big effort,” Frigoni said. “This team has been with me for 15 or 16 months. I saw how much they’ve improved in that time.”

Frigoni, who was appointed head coach in June 2024, said the moment was a long time coming.

“I was waiting for a win to show everybody how much we improved in these 16 months and it happened today. I am very happy for it,” he said.

A veteran of the global stage, the Italian mentor celebrated the emotional victory by lying down on the court.

“Every team has a story, every team has a background,” Frigoni said. “And for me, this team, I had to lie on the ground because I was very happy."

Frigoni and Alas Pilipinas now look to continue their historic run as they face Iran later Wednesday for a chance to book a spot in the Round of 16.

—JMB, GMA Integrated News