Marco Belinelli hints about potential return with the national team / News - Basketnews.com

The veteran guard, who missed the last two major tournaments with the Italian national team, revealed that the door on a potential return with Italy is not completely closed

Credit: Michele Nucci/LPS via ZUMA Press Wire-Scanpix Credit Michele Nucci/LPS via ZUMA Press Wire-Scanpix

Marco Belinelli played his last major tournament with the Italian national team in 2019 for the FIBA World Cup in China. Since then, Belinelli hasn't been a part of the national team.

2-pointers this season

54%20,0Points made:20,0Accuracy:54,1%Place in standings:8Record max:20Record min:20Most made 2FGs:Mouhammadou JaitehTeamEuroLeagueStatisticsSchedule

He missed the Pre-Olympic Tournament in Belgrade and the Olympics in Tokyo in 2021, and he wasn't a part of the squad that reached the quarter-finals at EuroBasket 2022.

Back in February, it looked like Belinelli had definitely closed the door on his experience with Italy. The Virtus Bologna shooting guard stated that it was time for younger players to step up and that he hadn't heard from the federation in a while.

But with Italy expected to qualify and play in the 2023 FIBA World Cup, there's a chance that Marco Belinelli might return to play with the national team, as he revealed during an interview with Gianluca Gazzoli.

"Watching the game between Italy and Greece from the stands in Milan wasn't easy for me," Belinelli said. "In these situations, it's hard to sit out, I love to play. But we talked with coach Pozzecco before EuroBasket, and we also talked during the tournament. Next summer, I'll talk again with the coach to discuss my possible return to the team."

After spending many years in the NBA, Belinelli returned to Virtus Bologna, the club in which he grew up, in November of 2020, and he became the captain of the team coached by Sergio Scariolo.

During his tenure with Virtus Bologna, Belinelli has already won one Italian league, two Italian Supercups, and the EuroCup.

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