Bologna –
Luca Baraldi, CEO of Virtus Segafredo, and Paolo Ronci, General Manager of the club, commented on Hackett’s arrival in Virtus’ jersey:
Luca Baraldi: “We hardly improvise. We have a very precise line that we try to pursue. We believe in Italians and in their return to Italy to represent our country in the world, maybe through the Segafredo brand. We are on a precise professional path thanks to Dr. Zanetti who puts his motivation and passion every day at our service. We are a family. Daniel could have gone wherever he wanted in the summer, but he chose Virtus. Maybe he saw in us the right values. The players see us as an important goal for their career. At the beginning it wasn’t like that but today we have reached this point of affirmation. We choose men first and then their talent. He perfectly represents the fusion of those two aspects for the career he has had.”
Paolo Ronci: “For someone who does my job to have a president like Zanetti who conveys love and passion for the sport every day is really something unique and there is a daily confrontation with Luca Baraldi that allows me to present myself at my best at the negotiation tables. Daniel anticipated that we were already in contact since the summer and for us the Italian spirit in the team is very important as it is for the Segafredo brand. Our Italian matrix is important to convey the values of Basket City also to foreigners. Thanks to Daniel’s excellent relationship with CSKA President Vatutin when he decided to leave the club he was able to free himself and quickly sign with us almost in record time. He is the first player to come out of Russia who is already ready to take the court with a new club.”
