Cantù gets Walter De Raffaele’s turn: one and a half year contract

It has a new coach l’Acqua S.Bernardo Pallacanestro Cantù, which on Monday, after the ninth loss in a row in the championship, has relieved Nicola Brienza: through a note issued in the morning, it announced that it has entrusted the technical guidance of the first team to Walter De Raffaele until the end of the 2026-27 sports season.

The new coach of the Brianzoli, born in Livorno on October 31, 1968, boasts an important career embellished by the winning of two scudetti, an Italian Cup and a FIBA Europe Cup. De Raffaele will direct the first practice with the team in the afternoon, beginning preparation for the trip to Reggio Emilia scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 25.

After a career as a point guard during which he wore, among others, the jerseys of Libertas Livorno, Pistoia and Aurora Desio, De Raffaele began his adventure on the bench as an assistant in Montecatini. From 2000 to 2004 he served as assistant coach in Basket Livorno in Serie A, until taking over for Luca Banchi at the helm of the team. After a move to Reggio Calabria, he moved down a category and signed with Casalpusterlengo, where he stayed two seasons and won a Coppa Italia in Serie B. From 2008 to 2010 he is the coach of Pavia in A2, staying then in the same series with Verona.

From the 2011-12 season he joined the technical staff of Reyer Venezia, flanking Andrea Mazzon, Zare Markovski and Carlo Recalcati. In February 2016 he succeeded the latter, inaugurating a long and virtuous path ended in 2023, during which he brought to Venice two Scudetti (2016-17 and 2018-19), the Coppa Italia in 2020 and, in the 2017-18 season, a FIBA Europe Cup. From December 2023 until the end of the 2025-26 football year, he sits on the bench of Tortona, leading the Piedmontese team in Serie A and the Basketball Champions League.