Tortona reinforces itself with a double blow
Virtus Bologna, after the farewell of Saliou Niang destined for Louisiana State University, has chosen to strengthen the Italian group by targeting Tommaso Baldasso, fresh from last season with the jersey of Tortona. The Piedmontese club, however, moved quickly on the market to fill the point guard’s departure, defining the arrivals of Giordano Bortolani and Amar Alibegovic. Two grafts that allow Tortona to maintain competitiveness and depth in the roster ahead of next season, responding immediately to Virtus’ operations with profiles already experienced in the Italian league.
Bortolani arrives in Tortona after a convincing season with Cantù, where he had finished with a 12.8-point average in 24.3 minutes and 36.8 percent from the arc, proving to be one of the most reliable elements in the Brianzoli’s salvation race. The Sicilian outside player was still under contract with the Brianzolo club for another season, but the exit clauses in the agreement paved the way for negotiations with Bertram, which had identified him precisely as the ideal profile to pick up Baldasso’s legacy. Pallacanestro Varese had also moved with interest on the player, but in the end it was Tortona that came out on top.
On the Amar Alibegovic front, on the other hand, the path to the Italian A Series proved to be more articulated. The class of 1995, a 2.06-meter big wing, had finished the season in Spain, at Granada, after a stormy separation from the Trapani Shark, then excluded from the 2025-2026 championship. A member of a family with a great basketball tradition – his father Teo wore the undershirts of Fortitudo Bologna, Trieste and Udine in the 1990s, his brothers Denis and Mirza are still active in professional basketball, and his cousin Luka Garza finished the NBA season with the Boston Celtics – Amar already boasted several experiences in Italy, including two seasons at Virtus Bologna until 2022 and a move to Trapani in 2024-2025.
His destination was by no means a foregone conclusion: in recent weeks, coach Jasmin Repesa’s Napoli Basketball – who had already guided him in Trapani – had come forward strongly, reaching an advanced stage of negotiations, according to Superbasket reports. A new Roman entity, which acquired the sporting title of Vanoli Cremona to return to Serie A as part of the NBA Europe project, had also shown interest in the player, with the added suggestion that he could be paired with his brother Mirza. In the end, however, it was Tortona that snatched the signing of Amar, securing an element of established experience in the Italian league.
