Estra Pistoia, Pino Sacripanti introduces himself: "I will change what is needed"

Pino Sacripanti, new coach of Estra Pistoia Basket, introduced himself at a press conference. “I thank President Joseph David, DG Andrea Di Nino and DT Alberto Martelossi for wanting me – he began -, they had faith in me and I hope to be good at repaying it in a place like Pistoia that I feel particularly friendly first of all, however, I want to wish Coach Della Rosa good luck, because I was born and raised in Cantù and I know what it means to coach the team of one’s city, I know how bad it feels when things don’t go as one thinks and I am sure he has given all he could give. As a colleague, and as a person, I stand by him and that I hope he can have a respectable career and continue to have fun with basketball“.

Luca Giorgetti

“From my point of view, I will try to do the best I can do – added the new red and white coach -: I want to get to know the team, I want to see them during practice for a sufficient period of time to get an idea that does not come only from the video and, at a later time, I will sit at the table with the management to make the appropriate reflections. I know how warm the Pistoia public is: the year of the promotion I was here several times to see Nicola Brienza (he was on his staff in Cantù, ed.) and I saw the help he can give the team but it is a path we will have to take together from here to the end. I will not talk to the players so much at the beginning, I will ask them that we need to help each other and that everyone take a step toward each other: the team has a way of playing defined by the previous coach, I will try to keep the things that convince me and change what I think is necessary”.

Pistoia is in 15th place in the league standings, the result of 6 wins and 9 losses: “For what has happened so far in the league, it is not easy to make a judgment in the face of the ups and downs that have been seen: it will be important, as in the last game against Cento, to pass the ball in a fluid way sharing responsibilities from the offensive point of view. I saw in Lorenzo Saccaggi the true defensive soul of the team and I will try to give, to everyone, some rules. Of this team, I had the opportunity to coach in the Under 20 National Team the various Campogrande, Zanotti (also in Pesaro, ed), captain Saccaggi himself and I know the characteristics of Jazz Johnson, as well as Daniele Magro. We will see if we can put the best possible identity, I think we need to build a real soul and we can only do it together: with these aspects, then, I think we can also become more consistent”.

“I will close with a little anecdote: I am further tied to Pistoia since 1999, although with soccer, because in the play-off in Cremona against Lumezzane the Pistoiese won 2-1 with a goal of promotion to Serie B by Claudio Pelosi who, for me, is like my older brother and so I was a great supporter of that team since whenever it was possible I would come to the stadium to see them. On the basketball front, on the other hand, I saw the great growth coming all the way to A1 and now we hope to be good to do the best with the club and the team” concluded the new helmsman of the Tuscan team.