Stefano Ravarini has abruptly parted ways with his Italian club Novara. He is now likely to take over the reins at Turkiye Fenerbahçe.
Lavarini had been in charge of 안전놀이터 Novara since 2020, and earlier this year he signed a new contract. His contract ran until June 2024. However, on June 25, Novara announced on its official website that it had “reached an agreement with Coach Lavarini to terminate his contract by mutual consent.”
Novara’s announcement is a significant sign.
Recently, Fenerbahçe coach Zoran Terzić was rumored to be leaving the club, and Daniele Santarelli and Lavarini were among the candidates.
Santarelli, in particular, is currently the head coach of the Turkiye women’s national volleyball team, replacing Giovanni Guidetti. Santarelli’s departure to Fenerbahçe was also discussed, and there were even reports of a move to Fenerbahçe for setter Joanna Bowsch, who currently plays for Italian club Imoco Corneliano. However, Bowsch chose to stay.
“Coach Labarini and Fenerbahçe have reached an agreement on a contract,” Turktime reported on Friday.
Fenerbahçe finished atop the Turkic League in the 2022-23 season and finished third in the CEV Champions League. The season came to an end after Game 3 of the Turkic League Finals against Exzabat on Dec. 12. Fenerbahçe has also been busy.
“Fenerbahçe wanted to hire Santarelli, who recently took charge of the Turkiye national women’s volleyball team, and Lavarini was also on the list. Fenerbahçe, which is preparing to part ways with coach Zoran Terzić, is close to reaching an agreement with Lavarini.”
Fenerbahçe is a competitive team not only in the Turkkiye League but also on the European stage. They are the clear favorites to win the title. It will be interesting to see if Lavarini will take on a new challenge in the Turkiye after his stints in the Italian and Brazilian leagues.
Meanwhile, Labarini led the South Korean women’s national team to the quarterfinals of the Tokyo Olympics and will be in charge of the Polish women’s national team from 2022. The two teams will meet again this year as international foes.