Milan-Tortona: the'former Olimpia assistant Fioretti knows what he wants
Fioretti has served as an assistant on Olimpia’s coaching staff for a full 18 years. A very long and fruitful relationship, interrupted at the end of last season when, Fioretti himself, decided to try his hand, for the first time, in the role of head coach. He thus accepted the proposal from Tortona. A few months later, he is ready to play the Italian Cup final, ironically against Milan, the one that has been his home for 18 years.
“Such are the cases in sports. The fact that Milan gets to the final I am not saying it is the norm but one expects it more, instead if we got there by beating Venice and Virtus Bologna I ask you if you would have signed or not such a prediction … Now let us think about this final, every time I see the people of Milan you can imagine the whirlwind of emotions I have, but now I am on an opposing bench and we will go to challenge it”, the words of the same Fioretti.
After having beaten, in the semifinals, Virtus Bologna, Tortona is then preparing to take on the’other battleship of Italian basketball, namely Olimpia. The red and white are in their third Italian Cup final in a row but have lost the last two finals played. With eight successes, they are the club that has won the coveted trophy the most times, on par with Virtus Bologna. Clearly, EA7, now led by Coach Poeta (who worked with Fioretti right in Milan), is aiming to take home the ninth Coppa Italia in its history.
In the Tortona household there’s great confidence. To have reached the Italian Cup final is an extraordinary achievement, but there is a desire to go even further and try to win it. Throughout their history, the Piedmontese have never won a title. This is their big chance.
The coach Fioretti, who, as a rookie, has succeeded in an already titanic feat, is particularly keen on it. Should he win against his former club, everything would be even more special. Today, at 5 p.m., Olimpia Milano-Bertram Tortona is staged at the Inalpi Arena in Turin. Coach Fioretti challenges his past.
