Fifty-two-year-old Massimo Barbolini will lead defending champions Eczacibasi VitrA Istanbul at the 2017 FIVB Volleyball Women's Club World Championship after having guided the club to triumph in 2016.
After a few years coaching men's teams at the beginning of his career, Modena-born Barbolini first worked with a women's team in 1993 and led Parmalat Matera to the European Champions Cup title in 1996. In 2016 he was in charge of Pomi Casalmaggiore when they won the European Champions League, before moving to Eczacibasi.
He has done stints with the women's national teams of Italy (fourth place in the 2006 FIVB Volleyball World Championship, gold in the 2007 and 2011 FIVB Volleyball World Cups, fifth place in the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and gold in the 2007 and 2009 European Championships) and Turkey.