Giovanni Guidetti, one of the most successful Italian sports personalities working in Turkey, was granted a permanent residency card.
Receiving the coach of the Turkish women's volleyball national team at Esenboğa Airport’s Grand Honor Hall in the capital Ankara before he flew to Istanbul, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan handed him a Turquoise card, a special form of work permit for an unlimited duration that grants foreigners the right to reside and work permanently in Turkey.
Guidetti has been coaching the national team since 2017. The 49-year-old Italian maestro also serves as coach of Turkey's Vakıfbank, which was crowned European champions. He transformed the team from a domestic heavyweight to an international volleyball powerhouse in his 14-year tenure at the Turkish club. He has led them to an unprecedented quintuple this season after winning the CEV Champions League title.
Guidetti started his coaching career at the Italian side Volley 2000 Spezzano in 1994-95 and later coached teams like Vicenza, Reggio Emilia, Modena and Chieri in Italy. He has also coached the women's national teams of Bulgaria, Germany and the Netherlands. He took the helm of the Turkish national women's team in 2017, a place he continues to hold.
Since taking charge of VakıfBank in the 2008-09 season, the Italian head coach has led his side to a whopping 25 silverware, including four FIVB Club World Championships, five CEV Champions League, seven Turkish League, five Turkish Cup and four Turkish Champions Cup. The unprecedented trophy haul makes Guidetti the most decorated head coach in FIVB Club World Championship and the CEV Champions League.
Guidetti has also seen significant success with the Turkish national women's volleyball team. Under his management, the Sultans of the Nets finished the 2021 FIVB Nations League in third place. They also have a second-place finish in the 2019 European Championships, two third-place finishes in the 2017 and 2021 European Championships, and a fifth-place finish in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. He has also worked to help spread the love for volleyball among kids as part of the "Sultans of Tomorrow" project.
Guidetti married Turkish national team player Bahar Toksoy in 2013. The couple has a daughter together.
