Virtus Bologna, everything changes after big bitterness: three-way race for bench

Virtus Bologna’s season ended in the most bitter way, with the 3-1 elimination against Reyer Venezia and the certainty that the title won in 2024‑2025 cannot be defended. Now, in the Bianconera household, it is already time for heavy choices and the first of them concerns the bench: Nenad Jakovljevic, in all likelihood, will not be confirmed and several names are already circulating for the new cycle of Virtus.

According to the Corriere di Bologna, the club is considering a range of very different profiles, the most surprising of which is Petteri Koponen. A former Virtus player, whose jersey he wore between 2008 and 2012, winning the EuroChellenge in 2009, in the last two years he has embarked on a coaching career in the NBL, leading the New Zealand Breakers.

Next to him remains in the running Francesco Tabellini, a name already circulated in recent days and considered an emerging profile, highly appreciated for his method and ability to work with young people. Already at Virtus as youth coach between 2007 and 2014, Tabellini is back from the bittersweet experience in Paris, which ended with his exoneration last March. The third name is that of Velimir Perasovic, a technician of great international experience, who coaches Unics Kazan in the Russian league since 2021.

At the same time, a fourth name remains in the background, that of Dusan Alimpijevic: the Besiktas coach can free himself only upon payment of a compensation of 150 thousand euros, an amount that Virtus would not seem willing to cover.