New investments in Italian basketball: has the future finally arrived? / News - Basketnews.com

After years of stagnation, the Italian basketball movement seems to have entered a phase of great change, with several plans for new arenas in the works.

Credit: Virtus Segafredo Bologna Credit Virtus Segafredo Bologna

In recent years it seems that something has changed in the Italian basketball movement. After years of disappointment and very little satisfaction, some positive news has come recently.

In 2021, the Italian national basketball team returned to the Olympic Games for the first time since 2004.

The Azzurri team then also had an excellent EuroBasket campaign last year, coming within a step of the semifinals.

At the club level, Olimpia Milan, after several difficult seasons at the European level, reached a Final Four in 2021 and then the playoffs the following year under Ettore Messina.

Virtus Bologna won the EuroCup in 2022 and returned to EuroLeague after many years of absence. The Italian basketball movement also seems to be in a good place in terms of producing young talent.

Last summer Matteo Spagnolo and Gabriele Procida were both selected in the NBA draft, but several other young talents are developing very well, starting with Dame Sarr, who has already made his first-team debut with Barcelona at only 16 years old.

The Italian league, although still far from the splendor of the 1990s, is becoming more attractive to investors again, including foreigners.

In the past year and a half, former Argentine basketball legend Luis Scola has become the majority owner of Varese Basketball. Just a few months ago, a group of American investors bought a majority stake in Pallacanestro Trieste.

However, historically one problem that has always plagued the Italian basketball world, and sports in general, is the of stadiums and arenas.

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