Virtus Bologna champion of Italy: 17th Scudetto in the sign of Achille Polonara

Virtus Segafredo Bologna is Italian champion for the 17th time in its glorious history. The Bianconeri team closed the finals series against Germani Brescia with a clean 3-0 win, sealed by an overwhelming 96-74 victory in Game 3 at PalaLeonessa. It is a triumph that goes far beyond the sports dimension, marked by the emotional intensity of the dedication to Achille Polonara, absent from the court but more present than ever in the hearts of teammates and fans.

The blue wing, who was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia a few days ago, watched the game from Bologna’s Malpighi-Sant’Orsola Hospital, while his teammates, all wearing “PolonAir” jerseys, brought special motivation to the court. Virtus took the court “on a mission,” dominating Brescia from the very beginning and leaving no way out for Peppe Poeta’s lineup, the author of an outstanding season anyway.

Tornike Shengelia was the absolute star once again. The Georgian signed an MVP performance with 31 points, 9 rebounds and an incredible rating of 46. Next to him, an excellent Brandon Taylor, author of 19 points and 6 assists. But it was the’whole team that shined, building success on solid defense and a choral attack.

Credit also goes to coach Dusko Ivanovic, who took over in December from Luca Banchi at a critical moment. The Montenegrin coach led the group with authority and charisma, pulling off a feat that seemed unhoped for after initial difficulties. It is the second Scudetto for Virtus in the Massimo Zanetti era, and it is a triumph that brings the Bianconeri back to the roof of Italy after the disappointments of recent years.