Conte returns home and joins Ciudad ahead of VNL start

Expected to join preparations for the Argentinean men’s national team campaign in the 2022 Volleyball Nations League in the next few days, Facundo Conte announced he’ll be back in his home country for the 2022-2023 club season after signing with Buenos Aires club Ciudad Voley.

A bronze medallist at last year’s Tokyo Olympics, 32-year-old Conte will be one of the key players for coach Marcelo Mendez when the men's VNL starts on June 7.

Conte is the second member of the Argentina team which won bronze last year in Tokyo to return home and play in the Argentinean league. Opposite Federico Pereyra joined UPCN San Juan in 2021-2022 and led the team to their ninth national title.

“Playing in Argentina is something I still have not done in my career,” he said. “I left the country at a very young age and never returned. Winning the bronze medal in Tokyo was the most incredible accomplishment in my career and I thought there would be no better way to celebrate it and enjoy it than playing in my country and in front of my people.”

Conte left Argentina in 2006, aged 15, to join Bologna in Italy. Since then, he has also played at 11 different clubs in six countries – Italy, Poland, Russia, Brazil, China and Qatar. A member of his country’s national team since 2009, he’s been to three Olympics and is one of Argentina's most popular players.

Although he never played professionally for Ciudad, the outside hitter considers the club his home as it was the place where he was introduced to volleyball and where the sport became his passion.

“This beautiful trip started 15 years ago,” he said in a video message posted on his Instagram account. “Volleyball has taken me around the world and I got to play in some of the best teams and leagues. I’ve been fortunate to fulfil several of my dreams, but something was still pending – returning home. Ciudad is where it all started for me, when volleyball was just a game and became a passion. So, I decided it was time to return home.”

Conte spent the last club season playing for Aluron Warta Zawierce in Poland and recently helped the team finish third in the country’s national league. He will be one of the last players to join Argentina’s national team ahead of the VNL alongside setter and team captain Luciano De Cecco and outside hitters Ezequiel Palacios and Nicolas Lazo, who just recently ended their seasons in Italy and France.

The matches in the 2022 VNL will be streamed live on Volleyball TV. Don’t miss out and get your Volleyball TV Pass now!

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