Sante Marsili

Sante Marsili is considered to be among the strongest Italian water polo players of all time. With the Italian national team he became world champion at West Berlin in 1978, ahead of Hungary, and was Olympic silver medallist at Montreal in 1976 when, with nine goals, he was the third best scorer of the team. Marsili also finished in sixth place at the 1972 München Olympics and eighth at Moscow 1980.

Marsili represented the Italian team, called “Settebello”, at the first two editions of the World Water Polo Championships with a fourth place at Belgrade in 1973 and bronze in Cali in 1975. He also appeared in two European Championships with a fifth place at Vienna in 1974 and a bronze medal in 1977 at Jönköping, Sweden. Domestically, Marsili played for Rari Nantes Napoli, Canottieri Napoli (with whom he won the Top League and the Italian Cup), FIAT Torino, and Pescara, and won a second Italian Cup with them. After retiring from competitive water polo, Marsili coached Circolo Nautico Posillipo, and Rari Nantes Napoli.

In 2016 Marsili was presented with a plaque and medal from the city of Napoli for his commitment to sport, especially aimed at young people. In 2018 he was also awarded the Collare d’Oro by the Italian Olympic Committee, the highest honour in Italian sport. A family of excellent athletes and water polo players, like his brother Mino and sons Mario and Elios, the Marsilis have been icons of national and international pools.