Italian volleyballer Birarelli announces retirement

ROME - Emanuele Birarelli has decided to retire from competitive volleyball, the Italian Olympic medalist confirmed.

The 39-year-old made his Olympic debut at Beijing 2008, and the middle-blocker claimed the bronze four years later at the London Olympics, followed by a silver at the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic Games.

"In Beijing as a debutant, it was a little overwhelming. In London, we won bronze, while in Rio being captain was something truly special, the highlight of my career," he recalled of his Olympic memories to Italian sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"It wasn't an easy decision, but I have decided to stop," he explained his retirement.

"Volleyball was my life, but my contract with Verona was coming to an end and the pandemic pushed me towards making this decision. Now I have to think about what I want to do with my second life," he added.