Bologna, March 15 –<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Virtus EmilBanca concludes its 2026 Adidas NextGen EuroLeague campaign with a solid fifth-place finish, thanks to a 62-70 victory over Bayern Munich. The Bologna leg marked a significant step forward for the black-and-white squad, considering that just two years ago, during the Dubai leg, they suffered four losses in four games. This year\u2019s record, however, shows a solid 50% win rate, with two photo-finish losses against top-tier teams like Baskonia and NextGen Bologna, who were set to face off in the afternoon for first and third place, respectively, in these qualifiers.<\/p>\n
Here are Coach Mattia Largo\u2019s comments on the three-day tournament at PalaDozza: \u201cWe\u2019re happy: the boys played four games at the highest level, carrying forward the spirit of Italian NextGen\u2014with the difference that the 2008 and 2009 players, who are used to playing smaller roles due to the 2007 players, have stepped up. They did a fantastic job of bringing out all the potential I\u2019ve always believed in and invested in. So\u2014just like last time\u2014I want to say a huge thank you and give a big shout-out to the boys because, once again, they embodied the Virtus Spirit, which must be a spirit of sacrifice and passion, while also playing the kind of basketball that\u2019s right for a youth program.<\/p>\n
Another thing I think is important to mention is that we\u2019re leaving this NextGen tournament regretting that we came so close to beating two teams that are currently battling for first and third place. So\u2014in hindsight\u2014I\u2019d say we were just a hair\u2019s breadth away from making the final, and we wouldn\u2019t have been undeserving of it; on the contrary, we would have deserved it for many reasons. This should give us the strength to move forward with even more spirit and a desire to improve, always with the humility that must never be lacking.<\/p>\n
Finally, I want to thank Simone Ventura and Thomas Acunzo, who were with us for this important European competition: two valuable players who play for Pallacanestro Cant\u00f9, a club that, like ours, shares our commitment to developing young Italian players.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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