The tears of Diego Terenzi who wipes those of Dorin Buca. More than any other, it is this one, in the changing rooms of the Libertas Livorno where cigars are smoked and champagne flows in rivers, the image in our opinion is emblematic of the amaranth masterpiece. That of a company that has built a team of men rather than phenomena, of a staff that has given equal importance to the last as well as to the first, of a team of friends, companions, brothers if not fathers and sons who form a large family. And, let’s face it, of a fan base that toured the country on Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday or Sunday, united by those “Sbandati” who from the 9th in Agliana have returned to fill the stadiums throughout Italy, bringing them back to the steps of Via Allende those who haven’t set foot there for 40 years or those who are new to basketball and have fallen in love with this sport and this team.
Here is the amaranth masterpiece, the promotion to Serie A2, achieved on the magical night of Wednesday 12 June 2024 – marking this date rightfully enters the history of Libertas -, strongly desired by those who will shed those tears of Diego and Dorin in private, when he realizes the joy not only personal but above all that given to an entire people. Coach Andreazza understands it immediately when he can’t find the words immediately after the match, Francesco Fratto, the undisputed leader of this Libertas team who can only say “I feel bad”, knows it, Fantoni realizes it on the pitch – and in that moment his eyes go they inflate – before admitting that “yes, this victory is worth double the double“.
Ricci is the veteran who commands the games, Williams and Bargnesi are the conductors who change register, alternating lucidity and unpredictability as needed, Lucarelli is the talent battered by injuries who doesn’t feel the pain because A2 is better than morphine. And again Saccaggi, the mustache who opens the beer of the celebrations and Tozzi, the child who will have to see the calendar to believe the dream has come true. One is missing in the count of those who took to the field, and he is even more of a child than his former San Miniato roommate: Gregorio Allinei, born in 2004, twenty years old, six bombs on target that break the legs even of those who are 34 years old and he has two Euroleagues and three Greek championships under his belt. Legs and hands never tremble, he is the MVP of game 5 of the playoff final, if we really have to choose the best, but he is always the one who comes down from a pedestal shared with all of “this big family”.
Yes, a family. Who finds themselves in the morning with cars, vans, buses to follow and support those ‘relatives’ on the parquet. Who suffers together, celebrates together, cries together. Nobody wants to leave outside the PalaMaggetti. Andreazza, the true leader, launches the chants from the bus: “Amaranth I was born, I will die as a drifter”.
