Italian coach Gianmarco Pozzecco was elated after realizing his dream of meeting his idol, Filipino boxing legend Manny Pacquiao, in person.

Pacquiao himself shared a photo of their encounter on X (formerly Twitter) this Thursday. During their meeting, Pozzecco presented the eight-division champion with an Italian jersey bearing the name “Pacquiao” on the back.

“Thank you Coach Gianmarco Pozzecco. Nice to finally meet you!” said Pacquiao.

On the Facebook page of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League, there’s a post featuring Pozzecco and Pacquiao engaged in a game of chess.

It’s worth recalling that upon Team Italy’s arrival in the Philippines for the FIBA World Cup 2023, Pozzecco had expressed his aspiration to meet the National Handball player in person.

“I want to meet Manny Pacquiao, so organize this kind of meet, please. Thanks,” Pozzecco said at the FIBA ​​World Cup introductory press conference.

Thank you Coach Gianmarco Pozzecco. Nice to finally meet you! 😁🥊 🇮🇹 🇵🇭 pic.twitter.com/aKnvWXNX2U

— Manny Pacquiao (@MannyPacquiao) August 31, 2023