Last week, at the 2026 European Championships Tbilisi, Italy’s Gennaro Pirelli had what can only be described as an incredible day. The 25-year-old had bronzes in 2024 and 2025, following a gold medal at the 2021 U23 Europeans but a gold at a senior milestone event had eluded him until Tbilisi.
Pirelli competes at -100 kg and to say his category was stacked would be a grievous understatement. Pirelli came through his quarter to meet Bilalov (RUS) in their semi-final. There he threw for a waza-ari inside the first minute and had to fight an extraordinary strategy to protect it. In the final, it was surely going to be Kotsoiev, had to be…
However, the final line-up was Catharina-Pirelli and Pirelli won it. It was emotional and enthralling, for Pirelli and his whole team; it had been a close-run decision for him even to travel.
“Physically I’m still not a hundred percent. Two months ago I had a small leg tendon injury and also we had a big loss in the family just three weeks ago. I wasn’t sure I could be here. In the end I decided to start in Tbilisi and try.”
Famously, Jigoro Kano said, “Where there is effort, there is always accomplishment,” and this could not be more true in this case.
“I want to thank my mother first, for all of this, because my winning now has come directly from the education I have received all my life from her. Everyone at my club, Nippon Napoli, were training for this and also the Italian police, for whom I work. All the people who supported me in this time and stayed with me, I thank them all.”
Pirelli mentioned his home club in Naples, Italy, a club with extraordinary momentum. The legacy of generations of judoka is in no doubt. Last year Christian Parlati won the -90 kg category at the European championships. There are Olympians, world medallists, junior champions, highly qualified coaches and so much more. The results and longevity are just one side of it, all fuelled by the club community, more like a family than a team.
With such a rich background of family, coach and club input, excellence is likely but then there’s the draw and a weight category full of stars. Pirelli isn’t affected by that though; his mental preparation has been solid, “When I step on the mat, everyone is the same. I am hungry to win no matter who it is I’m facing. The important thing is to have motivation, the will, always.
“It’s also important that I am… I want to be a good example for all of them [the young judoka in Napoli]. Before each training session, every evening I go on to the mat to help the coach with the children. They are always happy to see the seniors joining them.”
Genny, as he is know by his friends, club and family, is a role model, a gentleman and now a European champion. The Nippon Napoli legacy continues.
Author: Jo Crowley