Luca Banchi, the new coach of Virtus Bologna, spoke in an interview with Eurohoops about his new appointment and returning to the EuroLeague.
The Italian coach initially explained the strange sequence of events that led to him getting the job in his home country. He was on a flight from Riga, and when he landed, he saw that he had missed a call.
“When it looked like I could relax a bit, as soon as I landed in Italy, I turned on my phone and saw that I had a call from Virtus. It was early Friday afternoon. I didn’t know that Sergio Scariolo and the club had parted ways when I left Riga that morning” – Banchi began.
Then, the coach of the Latvian national team reminisced about his beginnings. He also said that it is a privilege to have been able to work and play in various clubs on the Italian peninsula.
“I have been involved in basketball since childhood, for 50 years now. Clubs like Siena, Milan, where I had the luck and privilege to work. Now, Virtus, where I have the luck and privilege now. They have always represented something unique and exclusive” – began the experienced coach, and continued:
“I come from Grosseto, a small town where basketball is unknown. The mere thought that my name could be associated with an organization like this gives me immense pride and satisfaction. These 50 years of my life dedicated to basketball are linked to cities and experiences like this. Coming to watch a Virtus game, or playing against them, has always been very emotional, just like in Pesaro, or playing against Fortitudo, Benetton Treviso, Rome” – he recalled, the best coach of the World Cup.
About the team itself
He also commented on the team itself. The experienced coach didn’t select this team himself, but he emphasizes that he has trust in it and is excited about the new additions.
“I see this team as one capable of competing with a lot of room for improvement. I believe the team has been designed with the goal of having a certain impact on the physical and athletic side, with a strong defensive mindset compared to the past. There are players who give the impression that they are still in the embryonic stage of their careers. Dobric comes in at a different level than what he had at Red Star, with the ambition to see him progress even further. I expect progress in terms of basketball personality from Cordinier and Smith” – concluded Luca Banchi.