Italy, Pozzecco doesn’t discount: “Italians? Nothing is done.”

Today’s first pre-Olympic match against Bahrain

All set. The pre-Olympic kicks off today in San Juan. Italy dreams of winning the tournament and thus qualifying for the Paris Olympics. Not an easy feat, in fact very complicated. Lots of competition, especially watch out for Lithuania, the favorite to take home the Olympic pass.

Italy, however, believes in it. As explained by Coach Pozzecco to Gazzetta dello Sport: "… I am sure they will give their soul. The bond with the jersey they feel it resoundingly", his clear words. Unfortunately, it will beà a national team without some key elements, above all Fontecchio, forced to the pits by a foot injury.

Pozzecco takes the opportunity to draw a parallel with the men’s national soccer team, highlighting the problem of the "azzurra" quota in clubs: "We can open a debate that I started in 2003, arguing that the Bosman law would have conditioned the nurseries. Italians play little and we continue to do nothing".

"Today we are dealing with a national team that does not qualify for two World Cups in a row. And, in basketball, we have played the Olympics three times in the last 30 years. It has to be accepted", the comment from Pozzecco himself, who hopes to return from San Juan with an Olympic pass that would be miraculous. At 11:30 p.m. today the first challenge of the round against Bahrain.