Bologna, October 17 –
Virtus Segafredo Bologna vs Alba Berlin. 2:00 p.m. Paladozza tomorrow, Wednesday, October 18, 8:30 p.m.
Referees: EMIN MOGULKOC, JOSEPH BISSANG, AMIT BALAK.
Direct: Sky Sport, DAZN, Euroleague.TV and Radio Nettuno Bologna Uno.
Unavailable: Achille Polonara.
Tickets available here. The Via Graziano ticket office at the Paladozza will be open tomorrow, Wednesday, Oct. 18, from 6:30 p.m.
Coach Banchi’s words on the eve of the game with Alba: “The team from an emotional point of view takes energy from the victories, like any team, from the good performance in Munich and the decent continuity expressed in the tricky away game in Trento. We are preparing for this round of competitions from an emotional standpoint in the ideal condition to do so. The defeat with Kaunas leaves us with that bitterness that I would like us to turn into determination to try to raise the level of our game even more. This is the Euroleague, as exalted as it gets in European basketball, you have to be very careful because there are no teams that give you room for error. A clear example of this is Berlin, whose characteristics are very specific and so it would be a mistake to think it is a less complex game than Munich and Kaunas were, it is simply different but hides its complexity. Achilles is not yet available and this limits our possibilities, it always pushes us to manage this emergency that becomes even more evident playing three games in such a narrow time frame. The team from the mental point of view comes to us with a good mood, from the technical point of view it has to make up for an emergency and it brings with it this little blemish of how we were not able to capitalize on the advantages we accumulated against Kaunas, which is perhaps something possible at such an early moment in the season, but the Euroleague does not give margin. We arrive with the load of motivation and determination that allows us to play one game at a time, but always with a consistent will to impose our basketball. This is a team that more than others is strongly characterized by its own style, now for years, with talented players who play at a very high pace, with a type of basketball different from the conventional.”
On the identity of this team: “Any team has its own path, the need to imprint its DNA on the court. We are trying to put forward our basketball, which rests on a very solid foundation, built by a top-notch staff and top-notch players. We do not forget that this Virtus was born from the identity of the past, made by great players and the past made by great coaches who gave their vision. Even in the recent past there have been players who if they do not play here, or coaches who if they do not coach here, have helped create a style and habits. On this track we continue to try to offer a basketball made of good quality combined with good intensity. I think it is fundamental as an attitude that the players first perceive that they are in a special club, because it is a recognizable and recognized brand, and that they play a basketball that has its own characteristic. Then, making it pleasing to the public, functional to our ambitions and those of the ownership is our job.
On the maturity of the team: “This is a team that has maturity by definition, it does not yet have a lived experience. There are very talented and experienced players, they lack the experience for there to be adequate knowledge of each other starting with myself. I don’t have that level of knowledge of my staff, and they don’t have that level of knowledge of me. We are still in the early days of our history, hopefully it will lead to important successes. It is too early to talk about victories that testify to something, let’s talk about performances that testify to the fact that there is a will to give a direction to our season, approaching each contest with a good preparation and with a good level of performance, which for this staff is fundamental, we have enough men to express a good level of basketball every night. We will also have to deal with bad nights, it happens to everyone, the history of great teams is also made up of bad games. We are these, aware of our structure and to date this is allowing us to produce basketball that looks competitive. So far we have proven to be competitive every night, I think we have the weapons to compete with anybody, the staff and the talent of our players is the main reason we are succeeding.”
On relying on the experience of individual players: “I rely a lot on the experience of the players, their experience and ability to take in information in a short period of time, but also their motivation, and I’m talking about everyone, to prove themselves adequate to the level we compete at and the opportunity they are having. When you play at a club like Virtus it means you’ve achieved excellence and you have to prove yourself worth it.”
Listen to the full pre-game on Spotify: listen here
Isaia Cordinier’s pregame statements, “There is a big difference now, we have a new coach and we have to adapt to a new system and find a new chemistry, but I think we are doing very well now. We are absolutely far from done, we have a lot of challenges in front of us but we are on the right track. We have to keep building on what we did well and what we improved on in the games against Munich and Trento. We have to learn a lot from the Kaunas game, we cannot concede easy defeats at home. Home wins are crucial for us and will be crucial in the season finale. I work hard and am always ready to help the team, my versatility allows me to do many things on the court, both on defense and offense. I pride myself on being a pliant player and showing it during games by giving 100 percent for the team and to my teammates.”
