Jacopo Gardella - Italy's 2026 European Mixed Doublette Champion | Player Profile

Jacopo Gardella - Quick Facts

From Genoa's Youth Ranks to a European Final

Jacopo Gardella is part of the tight-knit petanque scene in Genoa, Italy, where he came up through the A.B. Genovese club alongside teammates like Sara Ferrera. A specialist shooter, Gardella built his reputation domestically through the early 2020s before breaking through internationally in 2023, and capped a strong 2026 season with Italy's mixed doublette gold medal at the European Championship in Lorca, Spain - partnering Ferrera, another product of the same Genoese club.

Career Overview

Gardella's first major recognition came in 2023, when he won the Italian Precision Shooting Championship in the top category (Category A), establishing himself among the country's leading shooters. The same year, he added a European Championship title in the Espoirs (Under-23) category, pairing with Andrea Damiano to win gold - a result that marked him as one of the most promising young talents to come out of Italy's deep pool of precision-shooting specialists in the Liguria region.

Gardella's 2026 season built toward a career-best result. In June, competing for A.B. Genovese at the Italian doubles championship in Bordighera, he partnered Donato Goffredo to win the Category A national title. Weeks later, at the 2026 European Championship in Lorca, Murcia, held 18-21 June, Gardella was selected for Italy's mixed doublette pairing alongside Ferrera. The pair reached the final against a French team, Charlotte Darodes and Yohan Cousin, that had cruised through qualifying with a perfect 5-0 record. In the closest final of the championship, Gardella and Ferrera held off the French pair 13-12 to win gold - Italy's only title in mixed doublette that year, and the standout individual result of Gardella's career to date.

Beyond his club and national-team commitments, Gardella has also competed in international invitational events on the Ligurian circuit, including turning out for S.B. Santalbanese alongside Babacar Dieng and Goffredo at the 2026 Europetanque tournament - a reflection of how closely linked Italy's Riviera-area clubs are, with players frequently competing for regional select sides outside domestic league play.

Playing Style and Technique

Gardella is a tireur (shooter), the role responsible for precision strikes that displace an opponent's boules from play. His 2023 Italian precision shooting title is the clearest evidence of that specialism, and his selection for Italy's mixed doublette pairing at a major European Championship - a format that rewards a shooter who can also read a doubles game alongside a partner - reflects a rounded skill set beyond pure precision-throwing exhibitions.

Achievements and Honors

• European Champion, Mixed Doublette (Lorca, Spain, 2026), with Sara Ferrera
• Italian Doubles Champion, Category A (Bordighera, 2026), with Donato Goffredo, for A.B. Genovese
• European Championship gold, Espoirs/Under-23 (2023), with Andrea Damiano
• Italian Precision Shooting Champion, Category A (2023)

Legacy

Jacopo Gardella's 2026 European Championship gold in Lorca is the biggest title yet for a Genoese pairing that has come up together through A.B. Genovese, and it arrived in the same season he added a national doubles title on home soil. Alongside compatriots like Diego Rizzi and Andrea Chiapello, Gardella's rise is part of a broader wave of Italian shooters who have turned Liguria and Piedmont into one of the sport's most productive talent pipelines outside France.