Egonu cites racist insults, cries and speaks in farewell to the Italian volleyball team

Top scorer of the 2022 Women’s Volleyball World Cup, opposite Paola Egonu cried after receiving the bronze medal, this Saturday (15), and considered retiring from the Italy national team, according to the newspaper Corriere Della Sera. The problem would be related to racist offenses.

“You can’t understand. They ask me why I’m Italian. I’m tired. This is the last game,” the 23-year-old told her manager, according to the publication. The player of Nigerian descent had already been the target of racial slurs in the country.

The phrase was captured from a video recorded with a cell phone still inside the gym, after the third place decision. Eliminated by Brazil in the semifinals, Italy beat the United States in the dispute, by 3 sets to 0, with 25 points from Egonu.

According to Corriere, the words suggest a relationship with the racial issue, but it is not clear who the player was referring to.

Later, in an interview with journalists in the mixed zone, Egonu considered a leave of absence from the selection. “I don’t know if I’m going to continue. I can take a break. There will be time to think about it,” he said.

In another video published on social networks, Egonu appears crying hugging libero Monica De Gennaro.

“Despite the difficulties, it is the best moment of this World Cup, and I am happy to share it with my teammates. Without them I would be nobody. They understand and support me. They know that I am young and I can also have my negative moments”, added Egonu.

The player is the daughter of a Nigerian immigrant couple and was born in Cittadella, northern Italy.

The player has already competed in two Olympics for Italy and was world runner-up with the team in the previous edition of the tournament, in 2018, having been elected as the best opponent.

In the current edition of the World Cup, Egonu scored 275 points in 12 matches, 30 of them in the semifinal against Brazil.