Bologna –
Fifth final in a five-year period. Without Covid 6 out of 6, who knows. Numbers that in this timeframe only Virtus can boast from us because continuity of performance does not suddenly blossom out of nowhere. Segafredo often different from each other but always watertight, able to break into the decisive act for the Tricolor with enviable punctuality.
Five finals with four different coaches, equally intent on handling the recipe dutifully but not smoothly, sometimes achieved by losing important pieces along the way but always coming out of quicksand, the kind in which caimans usually suffocate their prey. Census attendance since the playoffs were introduced in 1977, in the 47 championships completed, this is final number 17 for the club.
Five in a row, however, it has made them only once, from 77-81, with some important fasts from 84-93 and 2007-2021. Virtus’ today has thus matured after the wide time of defeats, painful forks before hoisting itself to the current cycle, built with commitment, planning and effort.
Being in the finals is therefore not an obligatory exercise but a path chock-full of pitfalls even for those who in the last 6 championships (of which 5 were completed) in the regular season did better than anyone else by finishing with four first places, one second and one third. For the playoffs quickly denude even the best, ruthlessly taking away the dream within a couple of bad nights.
