Bonitta's most recent international appointment was as coach of the Italy national junior men's team, who finished third at last year's World Championship
Rome, Italy, March 4, 2014 – Italy, the hosts of the FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Championship Italy 2014, have confirmed that Marco Bonitta has returned as coach of the national women’s team.
Bonitta, 50, was in charge of the women’s team from 2001 to 2006, recording 169 wins from 255 matches but most significantly, claiming the FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Championship in 2002 in Germany in addition to a fifth place at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, second at the 2004 and 2005 FIVB Volleyball World Grand Prix and third at the 2006 FIVB Volleyball World Grand Prix.
Six days out to the Drawing of Lots of the FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Championship Italy 2014, which will take place on Monday at 16:30 at the Farnese Theatre in Parma, Bonitta’s appointment marks the end of former junior women's coach Marco Mencarelli, who was installed last year.
Bonitta, who coaches his Italian hometown club Ravenna, also won two silver medals when in charge of Italy at the European Championships in 2001 and 2005. After Italy, Bonitta went onto coach the Poland women’s national team where they finished ninth at the Beijing Olympics, a result which forced his resignation.
As coach of the Italian national junior men’s team in 2012, Bonitta went on to win the European Championships in Poland.
FIPAV President Carlo Magri met the President of the Robur Costa Luca Casadio in Ravenna on Monday accompanied by higher executives of the company, who with great sportsmanship gave approval to conclude negotiations with Marco Bonitta, whose candidacy as the national women’s coach will be ratified at the next Federal Council meeting on March 13 and 14.
"I found the leaders of Ravenna complete openness towards our project for the" bench "of the women's national team and I would like to thank them for making Marco Bonitta available,” President Magri said. “He will lead the Italians in the World Championship that we are organizing. It was a clear and obvious decision for us having evaluated the results achieved in the past as coach of the national women’s team, including the victory at the 2002 World Championship and in recent seasons with the junior men’s team."