"Egonu from Nigeria": Turkish commentator accused of racism before final with Italy

The final of the 2026 European Women's Volleyball Championship, won 3-2 by Turkey against Italy, continues to be discussed even for what happened before the match began. During the entrance of the Italian players onto the court, a commentator on a Turkish television station chose to introduce some of the players by referring to their family origin or country of birth, instead of simply identifying them as Italian athletes.

He introduced Paola Egonu “from Nigeria”, Myriam Sylla “from Ivory Coast”, Ekaterina Antropova “from Russia” and Sarah Fahr “from Germany”. The choice immediately caused controversy, with various fans interpreting the gesture as a racial slur and as a way to indirectly question the Italianness of the players.

However, this event must also be placed in the particularly heated climate that has accompanied the rivalry between Italy and Turkey in women's volleyball for years: the two national teams have faced each other several times for important trophies and, in such a sensitive challenge, there has been no shortage of provocations and clashes off the field.

Turkish commentator accused of racism

According to some Turkish media, the commentator's intervention would also have been an ironic response to the statements of Serbia coach Zoran Terzić, who in the days before the match had criticized the use of naturalized players from Italy and Turkey, mentioning in particular Melissa Vargas, the Cuban who became Turkish.

In this perspective, the comment would have been intended as a provocation to those who opposed the presence of foreign athletes in the national team, while also pointing out the Italian origin of some players: an explanation that may help reconstruct the context, but which has not prevented the phrase dedicated to Egonu and other blue players from causing strong reactions.

The topic is particularly delicate and at the center, without her wish, is Paola Egonu, who has also in the past been involved in episodes and debates about her "insufficient Italianness": situations that have also involved political figures who are today at the peak of attention, but who for years have relied on racial stereotypes and prejudices, promoting racisms that seemed to already belong to the past.

Egonu and Sylla were born in Italy, Fahr and Kate are 100% Italian

There is another aspect that deserves to be highlighted. Paola Egonu was born in Cittadella, in the province of Padua, and Myriam Sylla was born in Palermo. Both were born in Italy and have built a fundamental part of their human and sporting journey here, until they became two of the pillars of the National Team.

The origin of their families is part of their personal stories, but it does not change the fact that they were born in Italy. Egonu and Sylla have represented the country at the highest levels, contributing to the successes of the National Team and becoming symbols of a team that, on and off the field, also reflects contemporary Italian society.

The commentator also referred to the origins of Ekaterina Antropova, introduced as “from Russia”, and Sarah Fahr, described as “from Germany”. Even in these two cases, the reference to origin was interpreted by many as an emphasis on the players’ origins rather than their affiliation with the Italian national team. Antropova, born in Iceland to Russian parents, and Fahr, born in Germany to a German father and Italian mother, have been an integral part of Italian volleyball for years: raised here and 100% Italian.

Turkey, for its part, has built an equally international representative team, with Melissa Vargas, born in Cuba, among its protagonists: this debate on the naturalizations and origins of players is quite anachronistic and shows, once again, the difficulty of addressing certain topics even in sports.