Maurizio Gherardini raises the curtain on the new Serie A season

Just days before the first game of the championship, scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 4 between Trieste and Trapani Shark, Lega Basket Serie A officially presented the new season at the Unipol Tower in Bologna, in the presence among others of new LBA president Maurizio Gherardini, outgoing president Umberto Gandini and FIP number one Gianni Petrucci.

“I wanted to thank – said Gherardini – whoever preceded me in the presidency, Umberto Gandini, because there have been so many steps forward that the movement has made and because in this transitional phase I believe he has played a fundamental role in defining television rights. As for my new position, I have been fortunate and privileged to experience the passion I have for basketball by leading clubs for more than 40 years”.

“It seems strange to me to think that only a few months ago I was in the middle of the court in Abu Dhabi lifting the Euroleague with Fenerbahce and now I find myself here presenting the Italian league – added the new LBA president -. I think there is the potential to do better. I read almost with disappointment on Europe’s most clicked basketball website that we were placed sixth. I think in a way this has to be our challenge: we have to and we want to grow, to have value, to achieve more and more value in Europe. And this will depend above all on ourselves and how we interpret this challenge”.

FIP President Petrucci in turn brought his greetings: “Every federation has its own jewel, and ours is the Serie A championship: the showcase for the players then called up to the national team. So thanks are also due to the sixteen clubs, which have great entrepreneurs and managers and represent our treasure in all respects. It started very well with the Super Cup, with beautiful basketball”.