Training Academy O.R. and Fiorillo Academy, the weekend of youth teams
C SERIES, Fiorillo Academy - Castelli Romani 9-8
The regular season of Fiorillo Academy in the C series national championship group 6 ends with a victory and 2nd place. At the Foro Italico, coach Davide Bini's boys defeat Castelli Romani 9-8, but the simultaneous victory of Lanciano - tied in points and ahead in head-to-head matches - places Fiorillo Academy in second place in preparation for the promotion playoffs. Captain Eleuteri and teammates will face the top team from group 5, Rome's Grifone Nuoto. The first match is scheduled for June 14, while the second match is on Saturday June 21.
Coach Davide Bini's words: "I am proud of the journey we have taken with the boys: we have come a long way and we are happy. At the same time, we are aware that the most important part of the season starts now. We will work even harder in preparation for the playoffs, against a truly tough opponent. My compliments to Castelli Romani, who played much better than us today. This also shows that we are a young team: perhaps our focus was already on the playoffs, a goal that no one thought we could achieve, but now we also want to improve."
Fiorillo Academy: Spasaro, Di Marco, Quaranta, Lasta, Laino, D’Antilio, Eleuteri, Fontana, Rosa, Di Nucci, Taraddei, Dessy, Comandini, Bonanni. Head Coach: Davide Bini.
PROMOTION, Olympic Roma Academy - N.C. Viterbo 12-11
The season of Olympic Roma Academy in the Promotion championship ends with a nice victory. At the Foro Italico, coach Filippo Mattei's boys defeat N.C. Viterbo 12-11 and conclude a long, challenging, but also very fun season on a high note. A lively and balanced match between two teams who face each other openly. The game saw many mistakes, and it was won by Olympic Roma Academy thanks to a decisive goal on man-up play. Compliments to all the boys: see you soon for another adventure together!
Coach Filippo Mattei's comment: "The Last Dance. I asked the boys to just have fun and show how much we've grown this year. We went ahead by 4 goals, then let them catch up. From there it was a head-to-head battle until the end, with the game-winning goal scored in a man-up situation. We were disorganized and inattentive, but we played with a lot of heart. Next year, we will focus a lot on mentality and match management."
JUNIORS, Onda Forte - Training Academy O.R. 15-5
The Juniores Championship Ends in Defeat for Training Academy O.R. in Group 3
In Valco San Paolo, the young athletes coached by Mino Di Cecca and Davide Bini lost 15-5 against Onda Forte, second in the standings. The first part of the match was balanced, but the opponents' higher quality eventually showed, and the gap between the two teams widened. Nevertheless, the 4th place finish qualifies Training Academy O.R. for the national semifinals for the third consecutive year, placing them among the top 16 teams in Italy. The current goal is to prepare well for the qualification round on July 15 and 16—dreaming of the Final Eight.
Coach Mino Di Cecca commented:
“Turning a determined and eager team into a strong and dominant one takes time. We need to learn how to overcome difficulties, develop the ability to anticipate opponents’ intentions, and face one-on-ones head-on—without suffering. This year we’ve taken a path that led us to qualify for the national semifinals, which was our seasonal goal. Honestly, we’ve been a bit unlucky with injuries, which didn’t allow us to maintain game continuity and develop a more secure style of water polo. At the same time, I’m proud of the journey these boys have made, because where we couldn’t improve, we developed an alternative idea that we’ll continue to refine moving forward. I’m convinced that—with a full squad—we’ll be a tough opponent for the teams we face in the semifinals. Advancing would be a triumph, and the boys need to believe in that.”
ALLIEVI – Training Academy O.R. vs. Aquademia 6-8
The Allievi elite group championship ends in defeat for Training Academy O.R. At the Foro Italico, coach Marco Varriale’s team fell 6-8 to Aquademia. It was a very balanced game between two evenly matched teams, with the opponents pulling ahead in the final moments. With a 6th-place regional finish, Training Academy O.R. qualifies for the next national phase, which will begin with the Round of 16 on Sunday, June 8 and Monday, June 9. Their group will be hosted in Piedmont by Torino 81.
Coach Marco Varriale said:
“We lost a hard-fought game, which we could have won with a bit more luck and focus. We paid for a poor 2nd quarter, but mostly for many mistakes in front of their goalkeeper, who played very well. The performance was positive in terms of effort, determination, and defense. The offense was less effective, with many slip-ups, even on fast breaks. Some overly strict interpretations of the rules really hurt us in the last two quarters, including two game ejections—our goalkeeper and a defender. Now we’ll try to recover our energy and some luck—as well as our roster—and hopefully perform well in the Round of 16 in Turin.”
ALLIEVI B – Manianpama vs. Training Academy O.R. 5-6
The season ends with a thrilling narrow victory for Training Academy O.R. in the Allievi B championship. In Monteporzio Catone, the very young players coached by Jacopo Di Santo defeated Manianpama 5-6. The home team started strong and took the lead, but our boys didn’t give up, equalized, and then scored the winning goal to complete the comeback. With these 3 points, they finish an exciting and growth-filled season in 3rd place.
Coach Jacopo Di Santo said:
“We close the year with a splendid away win against Manianpama. We started a bit tight, going down 5-3, but then did really well to come back—with patience and determination—to win 5-6. We finish the season in 3rd place, just one point behind Manianpama. Overall, it’s been a fun and demanding year for the boys, whom I thank for their consistent commitment. There’s lots of room for improvement, and by the end of the year we began to see flashes of higher-intensity play. Now we’ll keep training for summer tournaments and any potential final stages.”
ALLIEVI B – Anzio Waterpolis vs. Fiorillo Academy 13-13
A spectacular 13-13 draw for Fiorillo Academy in the national Allievi championship. At the Stadio del Nuoto in Anzio, a thrilling match unfolded between two healthy and well-coached teams. Coach Massimiliano Grilli’s players were always ahead on the scoreboard, but the home team kept catching up. In the end, a draw was the fairest result for a game that stayed balanced throughout.
ALLIEVI B – Fiorillo Academy vs. Roma Nuoto 6-10
Fiorillo Academy’s national Allievi championship ends with a defeat. At the Foro Italico, coach Massimiliano Grilli’s young squad held their own against Roma Nuoto, the group M leaders, delivering a good performance and showing many positive aspects to continue building on during the summer. The final score was 6-10 in favor of the opponents, who were also praised for their sportsmanship in what was an excellent match.
Coach Massimiliano Grilli said:
“It was a fun, well-officiated match. Before the game—knowing the result wouldn’t affect the standings—I asked the boys to be creative, to take risks even if it meant making mistakes, but to try to apply everything we’ve worked on this year. We saw many good things, and I’m satisfied. All in all, it’s been a great season and the boys have improved a lot. I’m convinced that—by continuing to work hard—they all have a promising path ahead.”
RAGAZZI B – Roman Sport City vs. Training Academy O.R. 18-4
A tough loss for Training Academy O.R. in the Ragazzi championship. In Pomezia, coach Maurizio Gatto’s very young players fell 18-4 to Roman Sport City. The home team was always ahead on the scoreboard and more physically prepared than our boys, who still fought hard for every ball and tried to play their game until the final whistle. The final match of the season will be on Saturday, June 7, at 6:30 PM at CSI Roma Flaminio against Olgiata.
Andrea Esposito
Head of Communications – Olympic Roma
