Virtus CEO Baraldi blasts Scariolo: 'He transmitted a total lack of confidence' / News - Basketnews.com

Virtus Bologna CEO Luca Baraldi emphasized what he pereceives as a big difference in the team's morale between the Sergio Scariolo and the Luca Banchi era.

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Sergio Scariolo was harshly criticized by the CEO of Virtus Segafredo Bologna, the team he coached until last year and from which he was fired in September 2023.

Free throws this season

74%12,9Points made:12,9Accuracy:73,9%Place in standings:10Record max:20Record min:5Most made FTs:Tornike ShengeliaTeamEuroLeagueStatisticsSchedule

Luca Baraldi has accused him of causing "serious psychological problems" in the players' mentality.

The Italian was coach of Virtus Bologna from 2021 to 2023, while leading the Spanish team, with which he won Eurobasket 2022 while combining both positions. Scariolo left Bologna in a bad way, with a confrontation with the club, with Baraldi himself and with Massimo Zanetti, owner of Virtus.

To praise Luca Banchi, current Virtus coach, Baraldi has come out with some very harsh statements against Scariolo.

"Banchi transformed the mentality of a team that was depressed by the situation of a coaching staff that mortified it," the CEO of the Italian team went so far as to say.

Furthermore, Baraldi has accused Scariolo of transmitting "a total lack of confidence" to the players and that for this reason "the team was going through serious psychological problems."

The Italian club fired Scariolo citing statements by the coach, who had stated that "the offensive quality of his team is lower" in reference to the previous year and said that the EuroLeague was going to be "difficult."

"The coach's statements to the press on September 13, which follow those made during the end-of-season press conference on June 27, undermine the serenity and enthusiasm of the Virtus entourage and the group that is about to to face the first official commitments of the new season," said the Italian team to justify Scariolo's dismissal.

Last September, owner Massimo Zanetti criticized Scariolo for his appearance during the negotiations with the Toronto Raptors and Real Madrid.

"When Scariolo had those meetings with Raptors and Real, he treated us like we were a second-division team. Virtus is the team with the biggest number of supporters in Italy. I consider my club the most important in the country," Zanetti specified. "You cannot treat this club like any other."

Furthermore, in his statements against the Spanish coach, Baraldi added that with the hiring of coach Luca Banchi, "the reaction was immediate" and that the players are doing better now because "they wanted to show everyone, especially those who were criticizing them, that what had been said about them in the summer wasn't true."

Baraldi also referred to Virtus' new arena, which should be ready in 2026.

"In Italy, we’re the team that cashes in the most, with 9.000-10.000 fans per game in the EuroLeague," he noted.

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