MANILA, Philippines — In a historic day of Alas Pilipinas men’s national volleyball team stepping into the 2025 FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Championship stage — they need their seventh man.
During a friendly match against Japan last September 2024, Alas Pilipinas head coach Angiolino Frigoni expressed his confusion over the sight of Filipino fans cheering for the opposing team.
The Italian head tactician noted the peculiar sight of the crowd cheering louder for the opposing team at home soil, when they went against Osaka Blueton.
A year has passed by, the head coach remembered it well, and during the FIVB “Philippine Experience” press launch at the National Museum last Monday, he did not mince his words.
“In my experience, when we played against Japan, Filipinos were cheering for Japan and not for the Philippines,” he said with conviction.
With three days left before the Philippines faces the world No. 41 Tunisia at the Mall of Asia Arena, Frigoni has a simple message for the Filipinos.
“So, what I’m telling the Filipinos, please come. We need you. As supporters, we need you because we are going to fight together against Tunisia. Don’t let us fight alone against Tunisia,” he shared.
This is not the first time that the head coach has called out the volleyball fans and reminded them.
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“Please, you are a Filipino, cheers for Filipino,” he said.
9,000 spectators are expected on the opening day of the Men’s Volleyball World Championship on Sept. 12.
For Frigoni, he hopes that Alas will play at their best, but wants to approach every match with no pressure.
“We don’t have anything to lose to be in this experience. The teams that have something to lose are our opponents,” he added.
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The Philippines is slated in Pool A, alongside Iran, Egypt, and Tunisia.
