Italy, Pozzecco cuts another: ‘Painful choice’
National basketball team coach Pozzecco reduces blue team to 13 units
Having closed the cycle of preparation friendlies, the national team is preparing to face the official competitions of summer 2022. Having returned overnight from Hamburg to Brescia, the Azzurri held a training session this morning at PalaLeonessa, at the end of which Amedeo Della Valle was allowed to leave the gathering.
Thus, the roster available to the coaching staff is reduced to 13 athletes. “Another difficult choice,” commented CT Gianmarco Pozzecco, “and one that pains me. I thank Amedeo, who is not inferior to anyone as demonstrated by the outstanding championship he played this year. In the national team, however, it is necessary to make functional choices for the team and this is the reason for my decision.”
On Tuesday, Aug. 23, in the afternoon, the team will fly to Riga, Latvia, where the following day, Wednesday, Aug. 24, they will play the match against Ukraine (5:30 p.m. Italian time, live ELEVEN and Sky Sport), the first match of the second phase of qualification for the 2023 World Cup. Immediately after the match the return to Brescia, where on Saturday, August 27, the Azzurri will host Georgia (8:30 p.m., live ELEVEN and Sky Sport), their second engagement on the way to next year’s World Cup.
The EuroBasket debut is scheduled for Sept. 2 against Estonia at the Forum in Milan.
The Azzurri
#0 Marco Spissu (1995, 184, P, Umana Reyer Venezia)
#1 Niccolo Mannion (2001, 190, P, Segafredo Virtus Bologna)
#6 Paul Biligha (1990, 200, C, A|X Armani Exchange Milano)
#7 Stefano Tonut (1993, 194, G, A|X Armani Exchange Milano)
#8 Danilo Gallinari (1988, 208, A, Boston Celtics – NBA)
#9 Nicolò Melli (1991, 206, A, A|X Armani Exchange Milano)
#13 Simone Fontecchio (1995, 203, A, Utah Jazz – NBA)
#16 Amedeo Tessitori (1994, 208, C, Umana Reyer Venezia)
#17 Giampaolo Ricci (1991, 202, A, A|X Armani Exchange Milano)
#25 Tommaso Baldasso (1998, 192, P, A|X Armani Exchange Milano)
#33 Achille Polonara (1991, 205, A, Anadolu Efes Istanbul – Turkey)
#54 Alessandro Pajola (1999, 194, P, Segafredo Virtus Bologna)
#70 Luigi Datome (1987, 203, A, A|X Armani Exchange Milano)
