CEBU CITY — Some rivalries are born on the court. Others take nearly three decades and thousands of miles to materialize.
For Italian coaches Alessandro Lodi and Ettore Guidetti, Sunday’s Premier Volleyball League On Tour showdown will be less about rivalry and more about destiny.
For 28 years, the two coaches shared a deep friendship rooted in their shared hometown of Modena, Italy.
But never, not once, did they find themselves across the net from one another.
That changes today, as Lodi’s Farm Fresh Foxies and Guidetti’s Nxled Chameleons collide in a do-or-die clash for the final outright ticket to the quarterfinals in Pool A.
“Ettore is not just another Italian,” Lodi said ahead of the matchup, his voice a mix of affection and admiration.
Their story begins in the early 2000s. Guidetti had just received his first major break as a head coach at the professional level with Forme Cucine Veca Carpi. His assistant? A young Lodi, eager to make his own mark on the game. They worked side by side during the 2001–2002 season, forming a coaching bond that would stretch across decades, countries, and continents.
“We come from the same city. We’ve known each other for 28 years. We worked together. The first year that Ettore was head coach at the professional level, I was his assistant—that was the 2001–2002 season. We go way back,” Lodi recalled.
“We not only speak Italian, but we speak our regional dialect and we pretty much have the same background. We share a lot of the same methods, philosophies and history behind us.”
Time took them down separate paths. Guidetti went on to build an impressive résumé coaching women’s teams across Europe and Asia, while Lodi carved his own route in various roles, including youth development and high-level coaching stints. Despite the distance, the two never lost touch. Their friendship endured—even without facing each other on the court.
That changed when both men took a leap into the ever-growing world of Philippine volleyball. Guidetti was first, joining the Nxled Chameleons and completing his first PVL conference before Lodi entered the scene with Farm Fresh eight months later.
“Nice surprise, of course, we’ve always been in touch. He got here to the Philippines, seven, eight months before me, so he knows a lot more than I specifically, and I’m trying to learn so, first time ever that we’ll play against each other,” Lodi said, reflecting on the unexpected reunion.
On paper, Sunday’s match is a critical contest that will determine which squad advances to the quarterfinals. But underneath the tactical adjustments and sideline shouts, there’s a layer of emotion and familiarity that few in the gym will ever fully grasp. This isn’t just about wins and losses—it’s about two coaches reconnecting with their shared origin story, now told through the vibrant lens of Filipino volleyball.
Lodi, ever the professional, was quick to downplay any sense of sentimentality. He insists that once the first whistle blows, it’ll be just another game.
“But again, it’s just one game of many. There is no special [thing]. Once the game begins, it’s all just a team against a team, and maybe every now and then, there’s gonna be a little eye contact and a smile between the two coaches, but that’s pretty much it,” he said with a small grin.
“But pleasure to have him here and to be close to each other, from the same city and here in the other side of the world.”
Indeed, it’s Cebu—not Carpi or Modena—that now sets the stage for their long-awaited chess match. And while both teams are gunning for a critical win, there’s an underlying beauty in how volleyball continues to connect people across borders and generations.
