Finally! Valerio ACCOGLI (ITA/66) did it at the last attempt and followed in the footsteps of his brother Daniele (-100), who is two years older. The top-seeded 20-year-old Tifosi beat compatriot Alessio DE LUCA in the internal final duel and was crowned European Juniors Champion on the first day of the competition in Tallinn (EST).
“It’s the late reward for three years of hard work. Valerio has suffered early defeats in each of his two previous Junior European Championships. Last year, he was defeated in round two by the eventual European champion Tengo ZIRAKASHVILI,” said head coach Luigi Guido, who was delighted with his Carabinieri protégé. Guido had also guided semi-heavyweight Daniele Accogli to gold in 2022.
“Valerio is the more technically talented of the two brothers, but Daniele is probably even stronger mentally,” believes the coach. Valerio hears this and nods: “Technically I have more options, but Daniele can’t be fazed by anything. He is a winner.”
Last November, the older of the Accogli brothers was crowned European Under-23 champion in Potsdam. He is currently unable to compete due to injury. “It won’t be my last title either. I’m sure of that,” grins Valerio. We can expect the family success story to continue.
Author: EJU Media