Bologna, August 30 –
Virtus Pallacanestro Bologna S.p.A. announces that it has reached a multi-year agreement with Aliou Diarra.
General Manager Paolo Ronci said: “Diarra’s arrival is in line with recent transfer market deals, reinforcing the idea and identity of a team built together with Coach Ivanovic on energy, athletic freshness and the future, without sacrificing immediate competitiveness. Aliou was a key player at AfroBasket, leading his national team to a historic result and competing against Euroleague-level peers such as Tavares, Bruno Fernando and Bango, as well as being a player of interest to the Dallas Mavericks.”
A 208 cm centre born in 2001, Aliou Fadiala Diarra made his professional debut with Stade Malien, immediately making his mark in the 2023 BAL, where he won the Defensive Player of the Year award. Since 2024, he has been playing in Rwanda with APR, with whom he won the championship and cup. In 2025, he set the record for blocks in a BAL game and was voted the competition’s best defender for the second time. With the Mali national team, he was one of the stars of the recently concluded AfroBasket, leading Mali to its first final and silver medal in its history and being named to the competition’s best five, thanks in part to his performance against Ivory Coast in the quarter-finals, with 35 points and 16 rebounds. On 8 July, he was selected as the first pick for the Dallas Mavericks in the G-League International Draft.
Welcome Aliou!
