GIAN PAOLO MONTALI

After four back-to-back titles with the Pallavolo Parma youth team, he was promoted from the bench to the senior team, Maxicono Parma. An epic journey thus began, culminating in 1990 when the team from Emilia became the first to achieve the “Grand Slam”, winning an impressive 5 events in the same season.

He became head coach of the Italian team, guiding them to the gold medal in the European championships. A year later, the team won a silver medal at the World League and another at the Athens Olympics Games, followed by a second consecutive European championship in 2005. He ended his career in volleyball with an impressive list of wins, including 5 Italian League Championships, 16 European Cups and a World Club Championship.

He turned his attention to football, becoming manager of Juventus F.C. and later, of A.S. Roma, taking on the role of General Manager in 2010. In 2014, he moved to London as advisor for Leyton Orient F.C.

As Match Director of the Ryder Cup, held in Rome, he was instrumental in bringing the world’s most famous golf tournament to Italy for the first time.