Technical Team
Meet the CTAcademy technical team, composed of international equestrian professionals who accompany riders on performance-oriented training and professional development programmes. Our Technical Team works in an integrated manner with technical training, athletic preparation, mental coaching supporting athletes’ growth and competitive career development.
Matteo Giunti
Head Trainer
Matteo Giunti is a professional rider and certified instructor for the Italian Federation of Equestrian Sports (FISE).
He boasts significant achievements, including winning the Grand Prix of CSIO Linz in 2012. Even more notably, his students have achieved impressive results, participating in 9 European Championships (across Junior, Young Rider, and Senior categories), the Olympic Games in Athens, and over 30 Nation Cups at various levels.
Over the past decade, many athletes under his guidance have gone on to compete in prestigious events such as Piazza di Siena and the FEI Jumping World Cup in Verona. Today is the Team Manager of GCL Rome Gladiators Team.
Marco Panichi
Head of fitness
Marco Panichi is an internationally renowned fitness coach and former professional athlete with over 25 years of experience in high-performance sport. A certified 2nd-degree athletic trainer, his expertise extends to biometrics and functional movement, honed at top academies like IMG Bradenton and the Novak Tennis Academy.
His distinguished career in tennis includes working with several world-class players like Angelique Kerber, Svetlana Kuznetsova, and Goran Ivanišević.
Panichi notably served as the personal fitness coach for both Novak Djokovic (since 2017) and later for Jannik Sinner during his tenure as the World Number 1, contributing to their physical condition and longevity.
Today, as Head of Fitness at CTAcademy, he brings this elite experience to equestrian sports, applying a holistic philosophy focused on balance, coordination and strength, to ensure riders achieve harmony with their horses and optimal competitive performance.
Manuela Caputi
Mental Coach
Manuela Caputi is a Mental Coach accredited by the International Coaching Federation (ICF), specializing in Emotional Skills and Competences from the Paul Ekman Group. As a certified Focusing Trainer with long-term experience in Bioenergetics, her work focuses on the integration of body and mind for performance and personal development.
She collaborates with professional and Olympic athletes across various disciplines, supporting them in developing emotional awareness, mental strength, and an authentic mindset. Manuela’s current clients include top Italian rider Francesca Ciriesi and Olympic gold medallist Peder Fredricson. She contributes to the CTAcademy technical team by promoting emotional intelligence for sustainable, high-performing results, believing that “The outside journey toward optimal performance is the inside journey toward self-mastery.
Danae Tsatsou
Olympic Rider and Trainer
Danae Tsatsou is a highly accomplished Greek show jumping rider with over 20 years of experience on the international stage. She proudly represented Greece at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games.
Known for her dynamic and engaging nature, Danae brings energy, clarity, and a deep understanding of both horse and rider dynamics to her coaching. Her philosophy is grounded in respect for the horse, emphasizing that every horse must be “fit to compete”—physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Focusing on balance and feel, Danae helps students develop not only technical skills but also confidence and awareness in the saddle. She offers a rare combination of international expertise and a hands-on, supportive coaching style that truly elevates performance.
Matteo Mogliani
Technical Trainer
Matteo Mogliani is a professional rider, breeder, and certified FISE Level 2 Instructor who brings a solid background in international sport and horse development. With experience as a former rider in Germany and at a leading stud farm in France, he has consistently achieved top placements in national and international competitions.
Matteo is the founder of Stud MGL, a breeding and training company dedicated to developing young sport horses that compete internationally. As a CTAcademy trainer, he guides riders from the Children to Senior categories, focusing on both rider and horse development. His students consistently achieve top results in CSI 4* competitions (140/145 cm classes), demonstrating his expertise, international experience, and results-driven mindset.
Giovanni Pontiggia
Athletics Trainer
Giovanni Pontiggia is a semi-professional athlete specialized in sprint disciplines with a solid academic background, having graduated in Sports Science from the University of Florence in 2019. He is an expert in Strength and Conditioning across multiple disciplines, including Track and Field, Triathlon, and Equestrian Sports.
Since 2020, Giovanni has been a part of the CTAcademy coaching team, working closely with top professionals, including Head of Fitness Marco Panichi (since 2022). His approach combines athletic performance principles with tailored physical preparation, benefiting both riders and horses through improved balance, posture, and muscular coordination.
His training focuses on enhancing rider fitness, stability, and functional strength—key elements for achieving optimal harmony and control in the saddle.
Angelica Canonici
Athletics Trainer
Angelica Canonici is a former professional show jumping athlete who competed at the highest levels of international equestrian sport. Throughout her career, she represented Italy in prestigious competitions, including the FEI Nations Cup, gaining firsthand experience of the physical and mental demands required to perform at elite level. While pursuing her competitive career, Angelica graduated in Sport Sciences from the University of Florence in 2020, combining academic knowledge with years of practical experience as an athlete. Her education allowed her to better understand human performance and optimize her own physical preparation throughout her sporting career.
Today, her coaching philosophy is built on both science and experience. Having lived the realities of high-performance equestrian sport herself, she understands exactly what riders need to improve their balance, stability, mobility, strength and overall athletic performance in the saddle.
Her training programs are specifically designed for equestrian athletes, helping riders move more efficiently, reduce the risk of injury and perform at their highest potential. Angelica’s goal is not only to make riders stronger, but to develop complete athletes capable of building a better partnership with their horse through improved body control, coordination and confidence.
Francesco Bini
Osteopath
Francesco Bini is an experienced Osteopath who graduated in Sports Science in Florence in 2010. He further specialized in Sports Massage and completed his academic studies at SIOTEMA – Italian School of Osteopathy and Manual Therapies.
In addition to consulting for various companies, Francesco is a professional speaker and trainer, regularly participating in conferences and seminars focused on Osteopathy, Health, and Wellness. Notably, he co-developed the innovative Smartwell method with Monica Artoni.
Laurent Williams
Osteopath
Laurent Williams, an osteopath originally from Belgium and initially trained as a physiotherapist, now dedicates his professional activity exclusively to osteopathy. His career is marked by extensive experience with high-level athletes and in demanding environments both in France and abroad.
In the Olympic and Rugby fields, he collaborated with the Monaco Olympic Committee during the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games, provided osteopathic and physiotherapy care for the Monaco Rugby Federation in Dubai (with the Princess Charlene Foundation), and served as the osteopath for the Monaco Rugby Sevens team, French champions in 2023.
He has treated numerous professionals across various sports:
Cycling: Philippe Gilbert, Davide Formolo, Steven Kruijswijk, Michael Matthews, Rigoberto Uran, and Eddy Merckx.
Motorsport: Arthur Leclerc (in 2019) and the Casteu team at the 2018 Dakar Rally.
Tennis: Novak Djokovic, Donna Vekic, Ivan Ljubicic, Petros Tsitsipas, Hugo Grenier, and Valentin Vacherot.
Other: Lisa Caussin-Battaglia (vice world champion in jet-ski).
Early in his career, he also contributed to the medical staff of the French national football team during Euro 2000.
Tiberio Zingoni
Horsemanship Trainer
Tiberio Zingoni is a 3-Star Licensed Parelli Natural Horsemanship Instructor, certified at the Parelli Academy in the program founded by Pat Parelli in USA. His work focuses on fostering effective communication, trust, and respect between horse and rider through the principles of Natural Horsemanship. Combining the philosophy of Horsemanship with the competitive activity, Tiberio promotes technical excellence grounded in harmony, partnership and best communication with the horse. He is also Italian Representative for the World Association for Working Equitation and Working Equitation Italy President and trainer for Senior and Young Riders.
