Gianmarco Pozzecco introduced as the new head coach of the Italian national team / News - Basketnews.com

Gianmarco Pozzecco was officially introduced today as the new head coach of the Italian national team, replacing former head coach Romeo Sacchetti. Pozzecco, who's currently working as an assistant coach for Olimpia Milan, was visibly touched by the role he'll cover in the next few years and expressed all his gratitude during the press conference.

"I have a lot of enthusiasm but at the same time I also feel a huge responsibility", Pozzecco said. "I have a really big love for the blue shirt of Italy and I share this passion with the president Petrucci and with the general director Trainotti. What I want to say now is that I want to create a strong and united group with very specific rules".

Pozzecco specified that he's gonna be a full-time coach for the national team, despite having a few offers to coach in Italy, he decided that the national team job deserved his full attention.

"Coaching the national team is probably different and more difficult than when I was a player", Pozzecco explained. "The in-season windows force you to make difficult decisions. For this reason, my job with the national team will be a full-time job, because a coach of the national team not only has to win but he also needs to take care of the movement trying to improve it in the best way possible".

The new head coach said that he asked Nicolò Melli to become the new captain but he received an answer from the player that made him even prouder of the group that he's gonna coach.

"I asked Nicolò Melli to be the captain of the national team", Pozzecco added. "But he told me that the captain should be Gigi Datome. This is for me it's real leadership, these types of things have a real impact on how we build a group".

Gigi Datome didn't join the national team last summer but the window is still open for him to be again a part of the group if he'll be willing to do it.

Salvatore Trainotti, the general director of the national team, said a few words about the situation of Paolo Banchero, a potential star for the future of the national team.

"Of course now Paolo is in the middle of the draft process", Trainotti said. "We need to give him some time, but I spoke to his family and this summer Paolo will meet with coach Pozzecco to start planning for the future. He's a player who often stated his will to play for the national team, we just need to find the right timing".

Gianmarco Pozzecco will make his official debut as head coach of the national team the next 25th of June in Trieste when Italy will play against Slovenia in a friendly match.

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