Volleyball
Obituary – Spanish Volleyball legend Miguel Ángel Falasca (46)
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Article Sat, Jun 22 2019
Madrid, Spain, June 22, 2019. It is with deep sorrow and pain that the Royal Spanish Volleyball Federation announce the sudden and premature death of Miguel Ángel Falasca, who passed away last night in Italy after suffering a heart attack at the age of 46. Spain’s and Europe’s Volleyball family lose a legendary player, who had successfully embarked on a coaching career after retiring from competitive sport.
Miguel Ángel Falasca, born in Mendoza (Argentina), is one of Spain’s best Volleyball players of all time and he played a pivotal role when Spain claimed a historic European Championship title in 2007 in Moscow, Russia. Falasca was an Olympian at Sydney 2000 and the Best Setter of the 2007 FIVB World Cup in Japan. He was a member of the first generation of players ‘grown’ at the Youth Permanent Camp of Palencia between 1989 and 1992 – and during that time, he helped Spain claim a silver medal from the 1992 edition of the Junior European Championship.
Miguel Ángel Falasca played for a long list of elite clubs such as Son Amar PALMA, MODENA Volley, Knack ROESELARE or Skra BELCHATOW, claiming several domestic national league titles, a Top Teams Cup and playing in the finals of the Club World Championship and Champions League.
If his career as a player was extensive and truly successful, as a coach he also achieved numerous successes, starting with his debut in Poland leading PGE Skra BELCHATOW to a national league title, before working with the national team of the Czech Republic as well. Last season, Miguel Ángel Falasca worked for the first time with a women’s team, Saugella MONZA, taking them to the top honours of the CEV Volleyball Challenge Cup.
“This is the worst news we could hear,” said Agustín Martín Santos, President of the Royal Spanish Volleyball Federation. “Spanish Volleyball will forever owe a lot to this great man. Falasca is a person who gave his everything for our sport and we can only have a great debt of gratitude to Miguel Ángel. He is one of the most emblematic players in our history, essential to win the historic European Championship title in 2007 and a reference for the generations that followed.”
The CEV extend their deepest condolences to Mr Falasca’s family and friends as well as to the whole of the Spanish Volleyball community.
Miguel Ángel Falasca, born in Mendoza (Argentina), is one of Spain’s best Volleyball players of all time and he played a pivotal role when Spain claimed a historic European Championship title in 2007 in Moscow, Russia. Falasca was an Olympian at Sydney 2000 and the Best Setter of the 2007 FIVB World Cup in Japan. He was a member of the first generation of players ‘grown’ at the Youth Permanent Camp of Palencia between 1989 and 1992 – and during that time, he helped Spain claim a silver medal from the 1992 edition of the Junior European Championship.
Miguel Ángel Falasca played for a long list of elite clubs such as Son Amar PALMA, MODENA Volley, Knack ROESELARE or Skra BELCHATOW, claiming several domestic national league titles, a Top Teams Cup and playing in the finals of the Club World Championship and Champions League.
If his career as a player was extensive and truly successful, as a coach he also achieved numerous successes, starting with his debut in Poland leading PGE Skra BELCHATOW to a national league title, before working with the national team of the Czech Republic as well. Last season, Miguel Ángel Falasca worked for the first time with a women’s team, Saugella MONZA, taking them to the top honours of the CEV Volleyball Challenge Cup.
“This is the worst news we could hear,” said Agustín Martín Santos, President of the Royal Spanish Volleyball Federation. “Spanish Volleyball will forever owe a lot to this great man. Falasca is a person who gave his everything for our sport and we can only have a great debt of gratitude to Miguel Ángel. He is one of the most emblematic players in our history, essential to win the historic European Championship title in 2007 and a reference for the generations that followed.”
The CEV extend their deepest condolences to Mr Falasca’s family and friends as well as to the whole of the Spanish Volleyball community.