Varese, Ioannis Kastritis holds on to his Italian jewels

Interviewed in “La Prealpina,” coach Ioannis Kastritis explained his philosophy of basketball: “There is nothing innovative about it: basketball is a team sport and the word “us” is the most important, for the five who are on the court and the seven on the bench who have to stay emotionally connected with each other. But “We” also includes the coaching staff, society and fans: one big aligned family. Collaborating and striving all together to achieve a shared goal increases the possibility of achieving it and is the only way that makes one proud after having achieved it. The connection between all parts of the club, especially the drive of the fans, has been key to overcoming critical moments and continuing to work with great enthusiasm”.

“Goals? It is very important to convey this message to the fans: we want to make them proud and happy with what the team will put on the field. Dedication, mentality and work culture will be key aspects from day one; we don’t want to create expectations because results are the offspring of a growth process, only over the course of the season will we be able to determine what we are worth.”

“Starting again from the hard core of Italians would be an excellent starting point. The club is doing its best to retain them all; we are very happy with the renewal of Librizzi and the confirmation of Esposito. Assui and Alviti have contracts with exits; I have an excellent relationship with both of them and I hope we can continue together. If they all stay it would be very important”.

FIBA Europe Cup Chapter: “Playing in Europe would make us more competitive in the market, but the most important reason, and shared by the whole society, is that playing a cup adds value to the season. If we want to grow, Europe is a very important stage. In case of a wild card we will make a team a little bit’longer but it won”t change much in terms of strategy.