Bologna –
Among the 20 Azzurri in the February “window” for national teams, the last one linked to EuroBasket 2025, also 3 virtussini: Alessandro Pajola, Nikola Akele and Momo Diouf. They will take the court against Turkey on the 20th in Istanbul, at Basketbol Gelisim Merkezi recently risen from the ashes of the legendary Abdi Ipekci, and Hungary on the 23rd in Reggio Calabria at PalaCalafiore, the ancient Pentimele.
Midway between training and competition, already sure of qualification to the final stage from Aug. 27 to Sept. 14 between Latvia, Poland, Finland and Cyprus, this Italy will field a young but talented and sure prospect roster. A breath of fresh air, hopefully, after too many seasons of ups and downs, while trying to bring home a couple of useful ranking wins ahead of the draw for the group stages. Pajo will stamp them both as captain, dressing at just 25 years old for CT Gianmarco Pozzecco already in the leadership role. Akele will get there to restore spirits and limbs after not always high minutes, while Diouf on the sidelines of a not-too-soft season but one he is facing with flair and not as a shy rookie.
On the French side, coach Frederic Fauthoux has also called up Isaia Cordinier among his team: rally in Paris on Feb. 17, then all to Croatia for the match on Friday 21, before heading to Orléans to face Bosnia-Herzegovina on Monday 24. With a 4-0 record in Group E of the qualifiers, France needs a win to seal the deal.
Also involved with their national team will be Andrejs Grazulis, who will face Spain in the Latvian capital on Thursday, Feb. 20, while on Sunday, Feb. 23, they will fly to Bratislava to face Slovakia. Group C which currently has the Latvian team in the lead with a 4-0 record.
Finally, Toko Shengelia, an inevitable presence of the Georgian national team, could not be missed in a still open group in which it comes in as second with 6 points: it starts with the match on Friday 21 in Tbilisi against Denmark, last of the lot with 5 points, and then flies to Belgrade on the 24th against Serbia, now first with 8 points.
