Pippo Ricci hasn’t forgotten Cremona: “It’s a magical place; the pain is immense”
Sportal.it conducted an exclusive interview with Pippo Ricci on the sidelines of the event in Milan where Sky and Now unveiled their exciting programming lineups for the new season.
The captain of Olimpia Milano hasn’t forgotten Vanoli Cremona, where he played early in his career and which has sold its rights to Doncic’s Roma. “What happened to them was very painful for me, too. Lombardy—and even more so, Italian basketball—has lost a magical place, where so many strong players and champions were developed and used it as a springboard,” he noted.
“I was there for two years (during the 2017–18 and 2018–19 seasons, ed.) and every time I return to Cremona, I feel at home. I’m very sorry about what happened. Now we’ll see what happens with these two Roma teams, about which little is known yet, but I hope that sooner or later top-level basketball will return to Cremona, because it’s a city that deserves it—it has lived and breathed basketball for many years, has wonderful fans, and is home to so many amazing people.”
This isn’t the first time Ricci has been involved in initiatives related to the Sky world: last May, the Olimpia captain participated in the Sky Inclusion Days—an event dedicated to the themes of inclusion and social representation now in its fourth edition—sharing his athletic experience at the Sky Campus in Milan alongside other big names in Italian sports.
After all, Ricci has also proven his worth on the court throughout the just-concluded season. Emblematic of this was his performance in the derby against Cantù last March, when the red-and-white captain was named MVP of the game with 22 decisive points in the 88-86 victory at the Allianz Cloud. “He’s our captain, and he’s always important because he knows how to draw a foul and play defense, whether he plays a lot or a little, whether he plays the 4 or the 5. His performance stands out more today because he scored so many points. I’m happy for him, but my respect for him goes beyond his scoring,” Coach Peppe Poeta said at the time.
