Andrea Anastasi played 141 matches for the Italian national side including an FIVB World Championship and FIVB World League title in 1990 before beginning his coaching career in 1994. Belgium is the fourth national team that the 57-year-old leads. In his first year as Italian head coach, in 1999, he stunned the world by winning both the World League and the European Championship. One year later he managed to win the World League for the second time in a row and Italy claimed the bronze medal at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. In 2007 he again took European gold, this time as head coach of Spain. In his second period as Italian head coach he led the team to fourth places at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and the 2010 World Championship. He later led Poland to the gold medal in the 2012 World League.