After Varese, Alex Mumbrù knows what Virtus Bologna still needs to reach its full potential
Virtus Bologna dominated right from the start in Serie A, as evidenced by their 69-90 victory in their season opener on the road against Varese. It was a top-notch performance, as Alex Mumbrù also emphasized in his postgame comments: “I want to congratulate my players, especially for the energy they brought to the court after yesterday’s difficult trip. We managed to stay focused, essentially leading the game the entire time and constantly controlling the pace. We didn’t have much time to prepare for the game, but we did a good job of regaining our momentum even when they managed to close the gap. Perhaps we’re now at 60% of our potential; we’ve gained another 10%. And on Tuesday, we’ll try to win.” And maybe build up some of that remaining 40% needed to reach the team’s full potential.
This result comes just a few days after the EuroLeague loss to Fenerbahçe, where the V Nere fell 78–68. On that occasion, Mumbrù had acknowledged his opponents’ merits while emphasizing that the team had held its own against the Turks for three quarters of the game, succumbing only in the final stretch due to too many turnovers at key moments. The victory in Varese thus demonstrates an ability to bounce back immediately—a crucial trait for a team that is still building its identity.
After all, Virtus is a team that has undergone a major overhaul compared to last season. Among the new additions, Canadian point guard Marcus Carr stands out; he arrived from Würzburg after a season in which he averaged 17.3 points and 5.7 assists in the Bundesliga, while the frontcourt was bolstered by the arrival of young Angolan center Kevin Kokila, born in 2004, who has been called upon to anchor the paint alongside Momo Diouf and Aliou Diarra. Leading the team with the captain’s armband is Daniel Hackett, who has been named captain: the veteran, who will turn 39 on December 19, has already stated that he intends to approach this season with the utmost dedication, hoping to lift a trophy before hanging up his sneakers.
Hackett himself had spoken clearly about his future in recent days, admitting that he had already discussed the matter with General Manager Ronci: “The club still believes I can contribute; I’m not backing down, but you have to be honest with yourself and understand your limits. We’ll see how the season goes; I’m open to anything and focused solely on Virtus.” A veteran who, with the V Nere, has already won one Scudetto, two Italian Super Cups, and one EuroCup, and who now aims to complete his trophy case with the Coppa Italia—a trophy Virtus hasn’t won since way back in 2002.
On the first day of the season, Bologna’s victory was one of the most decisive of the round. In Saturday’s early games, Treviso defeated BC Roma, Venice got the better of Cantù, and Trento won on the road against Reggio Emilia, 83–78. On Sunday, in addition to the V Nere’s 90–69 win over Varese, Napoli defeated Maxima Roma 94–75, Udine’s 87-63 win over Scafati, and Derthona’s 101-93 victory over Verona in a high-scoring game. The match between Olimpia Milano and Trieste was more closely contested, with the Milanese team managing to pull out an 83-79 victory by a margin of just four points.
