Frank Vitucci: It’s time for some serious reflection: “Trieste was just too much right from the start”

Coach Vitucci spoke at a press conference following the decisive loss in Trieste: “We played a bad game, especially in the second half. We were overwhelmed by our opponents’ initiative and offensive intensity. We fell short on offense.”

“We knew Trieste was a team capable of maintaining a fast pace and scoring a lot. The numbers speak for themselves. We’ll need to reflect deeply to get this team to respond differently and approach games with the utmost responsibility on every possession and in every situation.”

Pallacanestro Cantù’s latest defeat—a drubbing in Trieste—has sparked outrage among fans, who are no longer hiding their disappointment, concern, and bitterness on social media toward a team that keeps losing and seems unable to find a way out of its slump.

You only need to scroll through the comments on Facebook to get a sense of the atmosphere surrounding the Brianza-based team. The criticism is extremely harsh and targets everyone: players, coach, management, and the organization. But above all, a word is beginning to gain traction that no one in Cantù wants to utter anymore: relegation.

“Now we need to start getting seriously worried,” writes Paolo Carnini. It’s a sentiment shared by many, even by those who, until now, had tried to remain optimistic. Take Mario Canzi, for example: “I think even an optimist like me can now say that things aren’t working out. Without being alarmists, we need to take a hard look at ourselves and figure out why Cantù isn’t winning anymore.”

There are, however, those who have already lost all hope. Andrea Garriboli is scathing in his analysis: “We need to calmly prepare for A2. The team is truly weak, and to make it strong, you’d have to replace half the roster. The gap to bridge is huge. The schedule is terrible.”

A frightening prediction that is echoed in the words of Mauro Ratti: “The club still has time to fire the coach and sign three good foreign players; otherwise, relegation is certain!”

Among the main targets of the criticism is coach Frank Vitucci. Fans mainly blame him for the lack of progress and his inability to give the team an identity.

“Vitucci is a disappointment,” sums up Eleonora Broggi. Daniele Tagliabue is much harsher: “The worst team in the last 30 years. And a coach whom calling ‘embarrassing’ is a compliment: zero ideas, zero strategies, zero grit. Just words, words.” His comment ends with a hashtag that leaves no room for interpretation:

Davide Freddie Montagner also calls for an immediate change of course: “The problems are always the same, but our biggest one is Vitucci—he keeps making promises, but no improvements ever materialize. Before changing other players, we need to change the person at the helm of the team.”

Giacomo Castelli goes so far as to predict the coach’s future: “Vitucci won’t be eating panettone in Cantù.”

But according to the fans, the responsibility doesn’t lie solely with the coach. The team’s roster construction is also coming under fire.

“A budget-conscious offseason, and these are the results,” argues Mauro Ghisletti. Roberto Bani, on the other hand, quips about the constant roster changes: “So who’s getting traded now? Brown and Christon? They’re switching teams one by one.”

For Matteo Marelli, the problem is even broader: “I’m just stunned. What kind of team, coach, and GM is this? Explain it to me.”

Amid a barrage of criticism, very few players manage to earn any positive reviews. “The only bright spots are Olisevicius and Flagg’s contribution—free throws aside,” observes Massimiliano Angelotti. Davide Freddie Montagner echoes this sentiment, sparing only those two players from his negative assessment of the rest of the team.

What hurts the blue-and-white fans even more is the feeling that the history of a club—one that has written unforgettable chapters in Italian and European basketball—is being tarnished.

“Embarrassing—they’re ruining everything good in the history of Cantù basketball. These puppets don’t deserve it,” attacks Mauro Merighi.

“I’ve never seen a team like this,” writes Gabriele Mascheroni. “Shame on you!” thunders Mauro Ratti, while Marco Dell’Arciprete extends his criticism to every level: “There’s no team, no coach, no club.”

There are also those who resort to historical comparisons that are anything but reassuring. Fabio Mapelli brings up the 1990 Irge Desio team in Serie A1, which finished the season without a single point, fearing that Cantù might meet a similar fate.

Federico Livio, on the other hand, opts for bitter irony: “We’re taking bets on who will manage to lose to this team.” And Larry Zanetti is no longer looking for excuses: “We’ve never won a game—no more excuses. Time to pack our bags.”

The picture that emerges from the comments is one of a deeply disappointed fan base, which is no longer asking just for a win, but for concrete signs of change.

The concern is that the window of opportunity to take action is rapidly closing. Some are calling for new signings, others are demanding the coach’s dismissal, and still others are questioning the entire coaching staff.

Not everyone has thrown in the towel yet, but the prevailing sentiment is now one of alarm. Cantù, a city accustomed to far greater ambitions, now finds itself facing the fear of another relegation to A2.