Two weeks after the exit from the stage in the play-off semi-final, the regret and regret for the way in which Unieuro’s season ended are feelings that still beat strongly in the chests of Forlì fans and managers. First of all in that of the president of Basketball 2015, but Giancarlo Nicosanti has not put his desire to be in the front row again when the green light comes on for the 2024-2025 season and announces. «Throwing our hearts beyond the obstacle, we have already decreed a budget increase compared to what we faced last championship».
Let’s go step by step, however, and rewind the tape for a moment. Forlì does not realize his dream, but takes home the A2 Italian Cup with the MVP title for Federico Zampini, second consecutive first place in the regular season, and the title of best coach of the year for Antimo Martino.
Is that enough to consider it an excellent year? «Overall it was a more than positive season – says the president -. We hoped to be able to crown it with the most important result, but we had the misfortune of losing Kadeem Allen, one of the strongest players in the entire A2 series, on the eve of the match. Our face has necessarily changed and in a series of such a high level as the one against Trieste, granting an advantage like this to our opponents was too much not to be paid for. The proof is that all the teams that had serious injuries in the play-offs have left the scene.”
The bitter taste probably comes from never having seen a Unieuro team capable of worrying the Giulians in the semi-final series. «If we had had the chance to play it on equal terms, it would have been at least a close series, but in the conditions we were in, no. And then look at what Ruzzier and his teammates are doing: eight wins out of eight in the play-offs, six out of six away. Crazy, but what is surprising is not so much this performance, but the fifth place in the regular season.”
Even with all these mitigating factors and considerations and in light of what was shown during the season, bitterness prevails among the fans. In recent days the Curva Nord published a post on social networks in which it accuses the company of not being clear in its actual objectives. «I believe I have always respected other people’s ideas and I will continue to respect them: with an important investment like the one in Daniele Magro, I think we have given the demonstration that we really believe in it, and a lot of it».
Now the people of Forlì are waiting for the market to reveal what Unieuro will be able to compete for. «We will draw conclusions at the end of the signing campaign: we have the ideas and we are ready to try to materialize them, but in the new A2 there will be seven or eight of them trying to fight it out to the end like us – explains Nicosanti -. In recent days the Foundation has given its approval for an increase in the budget to be assigned to Renato Pasquali and Antimo Martino. It already happened last year, we increased even further by throwing our hearts over the obstacle. We made this choice with conviction, even before knowing whether all our partners will confirm their support for the company. In fact, we have just started renewing sponsorship contracts.”
On market strategies, Nicosanti remains silent and relies on the Pasquali-Martino duo. It seems that his eyes are on Federico Mussini, a point guard returning from an excellent year in Cento. The same team Federico Zampini came from. «We did everything we could and I really wish him the best. I remember that last summer we offered him a two-year deal, but the condition set by his agent to accept it was that there was an exit clause for Serie A. The escape still included an “exit bonus” in our favour, Zampini l ‘he just exercised his right.”
