Nicola Brienza may return to the big leagues

Nicola Brienza, back from a very disappointing season at the helm of Pallacanestro Cantù, with the Brianza management exonerating him in February after very long hesitations to make way for Walter De Raffaele, could return to coaching in the top division (which, moreover, he had regained at the helm of the Biancoblù) as early as next season. According to reports from the always well-informed ‘Prealpina’ his name is circulating in Scafati to replace Frank Vitucci, who could leave the Campania club after bringing it back to the A division already at the end of the regular season and thanks to a mighty comeback, made up of effective play and victories.

On Vitucci, by the way, it is not only the Campanias who are making reflections: even Reyer Venezia, which has to solve the knot of the bench after the separation from Neven Spahija, has put the name of the navigated Venetian coach at the top of its list. And it is no coincidence, since Vitucci has a deep connection with Reyer: he was deputy from 1986 to 1993 and then head coach until 1996, building his reputation in great Italian basketball there. The Orogranata management, after Luca Banchi declined the offer because he did not want to burden himself with the double duty with the national team, has widened the range of action, and Vitucci’s return to Venice represents a suggestion.

The promotion obtained by Vitucci with Scafati at the end of the A2 regular season, without even having to go through the playoffs, has inevitably raised his price on the market, making his position as coveted as it is difficult to free. The final decision is up to him: to remain in Campania to lead Givova in the top league, or to take up one of the enticements coming from historic places like Venice – or, indeed, to give in to Scafati’s court, thus opening the door to Brienza.

For Brienza, who with Cantù had also won the A2 Italian Cup before promotion, it would be an immediate second chance in the top league. His experience on the bench and knowledge of top Italian basketball make him a credible profile for a square like Scafati, which is about to face Serie A with ambitions of consolidation. In the coming weeks, with the definition of technical cadres throughout the league, the rebus of Campania and Venice benches should find a solution.