Paola Egonu: “I’m hurt, insults hurt”, Ivan Zazzaroni defends her in Dancing with the stars

In these hours, the world of sport has tightened around an immense athlete like Paola Egonu. The volleyball champion, who along with Italvolley won the United States and won the bronze medal at the World Cup, was immortalized by venting on the sidelines saying: “You can’t understand, they asked me if I’m Italian“. And announcing that he wants to take a break from the selection. During the second episode of Dancing with the stars, the journalist Ivan Zazzaroni expressed his indignation.

Ivan Zazzaroni and the Paola Egonu case

Ivan Zazzaroni, after Giampiero Mughini had played on the notes of Viva Italia, wanted to take the floor to underline how shameful what happened to Paola Egonu is and the fact that someone still allows themselves to question that a person is Italian just because they are black. : “Speaking of Viva Italia, a very special thing happened today. Our best volleyball player, 24-year-old Paola Egonu – let’s talk about the phenomenon, the Ronaldo of volleyball – said they don’t make her feel Italian“. The juror explained that they question why it’s black:”He even wanted to leave the national team at 24. I never make appeals of that kind, but I find it shameful that even today there are people who ask her if she is Italian.“.

Paola Egonu: “Some players can’t and say I’m leaving”

Paola Egonu, to the microphones of Rai Sport, spoke of the outburst she had on the sidelines and how much they hurt her in recent years, the comments full of insults received on social networks. She also believes that she was badly treated by some journalists as well. Paola Egonu expressed her intention to take some time for herself:

With a hot mind, I still think this is my last game with the national team. It was very difficult, after the match against Brazil, to enter the field today. Obviously, there’s still six, nine months left before I can reconsider that decision, but now I think I want to take a break for myself, for myself – 23-year-old girl – and I want to rest. I don’t know what I want to say in a few months, but today was difficult, today I took the field singing the anthem crying for the pain I felt, not for what happened after the defeat against Brazil, but for all the insults and the messages I received , even from the Gazzetta, it hurts, so I think I deserve some time to myself. I have to do my assessments with a cool head. I’m not saying it enough because saying that would mean giving it to them… I still don’t know, it’s an honor for me to wear this shirt and bring home some goals. We’ll see later.

Then he went back to specifying that he was hurt by the comments received: “In the comments I was asked if I was Italian. It hurts because if I wear this shirt it means I believe in it, that I feel Italian and feeling doubt about it hurts a lot, because otherwise I wouldn’t give my heart for it, I wouldn’t make sacrifices to bring this shirt up. At this moment the girl inside me speaks who is hurt, so hurt. She’s tired of being judged every time“. And concluded:

I also do this to make you think that players don’t always put their jersey back on and keep pedaling, are there players who can’t and say they know it’s there? I’m leaving.