Benjamin Toniutti – a playmaking virtuoso of ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle

The French setter started his third season in ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle. Since he joined the club, ZAKSA began winning the national trophies regularly. In almost every match he has been the director of the game.

- Benjamin was the first candidate I wanted to talk with. I know him very well, because he played in Italy and I remembered him as a complete player - said Ferdinando De Giorgi in 2015 when he took the helm of ZAKSA. His conversation with the Frenchman had a remarkable effect - Toniutti was the player with whom the Italian coach started a thorough reconstruction of the team before the 2015/2016 season.

He did not need much time to show that he is an outstanding specialist in his profession. He found himself in the new club very quickly, getting a good contact with other players. Therefore, already in the first weeks of his stay in Poland he was frequently named the best player of the match. He was honoured with the Most Valuable Player award five times in just two months!

- Benjamin is a real leader, he shows it on and out of the court. However, I appreciate his diligence the most - emphasized Mory Sidibe, who played with Toniutti in the national team of France.

- In my youth, when we didn't have training I used to stay in the venue, I was hitting the ball towards the wall. Until now, when I don't have scheduled activities in summer, I don't take a break from volleyball - said Toniutti on the beginning of his volleyball career.

French player regularly watches videos to analyse actions of his teammates, which helps him to become even better.

- I have watched many matches, focusing not only on setters' performances. I like to look at the attitude of players on other positions and observe a general philosophy of the game of each team. My girlfriend repeatedly says to me "turn it off, take a break from volleyball” - said Toniutti.

During his stay in Poland, despite heavy workload, he did not record any drop in his form. He is ZAKSA's playmaker with impressive regularity also in this season. The team from Kędzierzyn-Koźle go like a bomb. They won all of their 12 matches in PlusLiga. Every time the actions were directed by Toniutti, who is being compered by the head coach of France, Laurent Tillie, to... Napoleon.

His class was best described by the team captain of Cerrad Czarni Radom, Wojciech Żaliński: - Toniutti is an artist of volleyball.